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megadeathvsbooks's review
5.0
This was a fantastic little novella documenting the history behind Haden's Syndrome. Haden's Syndrome is the fictional syndrome in Scalzi's new book, releasing later this year. It was a great way to drum up interest in the book and fun read on its own.
tricapra's review
3.0
Kinda wish I had read this first, before Lock-in. Really fleshed out the world
titleistmuffin's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
ho0pz4sho's review
informative
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
joelteon's review
4.0
Haunting.
I had the opportunity to read Unlocked: An Oral History of Haden's Syndrome at the height of COVID and I sure am glad that I didn't. This novella was released in 2014, some five years before the world even started to learn about an unstoppable virus. Yet John Scalzi has perfectly predicted just such an event.
Starting on Super Bowl Sunday the virus that would come to be known as Haden's Syndrome took over the world. Told in an interview-like format, Unlocked is a harrowing tale of hope in a time of little to no scientific evidence. Unlike COVID, Haden's Syndrome's origin is never discovered and many suffer a fate that could be worse than death as solutions are desperately sought. We get to see governments, scientists and reporters trying to work out the impossible solutions to this impossible problem. It is a fascinating and riveting story told through an unusual format.
This tale is the prequel to a novel I now desperately want to read, Lock In, released in 2014 also. I have read little else by Scalzi, but with his incredible world building in this oddly designed novella I will definitely find the time to explore his more well known works.
I had the opportunity to read Unlocked: An Oral History of Haden's Syndrome at the height of COVID and I sure am glad that I didn't. This novella was released in 2014, some five years before the world even started to learn about an unstoppable virus. Yet John Scalzi has perfectly predicted just such an event.
Starting on Super Bowl Sunday the virus that would come to be known as Haden's Syndrome took over the world. Told in an interview-like format, Unlocked is a harrowing tale of hope in a time of little to no scientific evidence. Unlike COVID, Haden's Syndrome's origin is never discovered and many suffer a fate that could be worse than death as solutions are desperately sought. We get to see governments, scientists and reporters trying to work out the impossible solutions to this impossible problem. It is a fascinating and riveting story told through an unusual format.
This tale is the prequel to a novel I now desperately want to read, Lock In, released in 2014 also. I have read little else by Scalzi, but with his incredible world building in this oddly designed novella I will definitely find the time to explore his more well known works.
kitsuneheart's review
5.0
I read this short story. And IMMEDIATELY bought the full novel.
A super-virus sweeps the nation, killing in every class, race, sex, and other demographic. But that's just the first wave. Weeks later, people begin to go into paralyzed states. MRI scans prove they are, in fact, conscious, but unable to move.
After years of work, technology is created that allows them to first speak through computers...and then move in android bodies.
This is a fascinating look at a completely re-imagined human society, where many of our loved ones become bound in their bodies, and yet freed into a technological world that makes them essentially different from humanity at large.
I can't wait to read the book!
A super-virus sweeps the nation, killing in every class, race, sex, and other demographic. But that's just the first wave. Weeks later, people begin to go into paralyzed states. MRI scans prove they are, in fact, conscious, but unable to move.
After years of work, technology is created that allows them to first speak through computers...and then move in android bodies.
This is a fascinating look at a completely re-imagined human society, where many of our loved ones become bound in their bodies, and yet freed into a technological world that makes them essentially different from humanity at large.
I can't wait to read the book!
scottnap's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
floatsomejetsome's review
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
A nice addition to the series, but not worth reading if you haven’t already read the other Hayden’s books.