In this story, the world has mastered the technology of "ditching," which involves the souls' being copied into disposable clay bodies called golems or "dittos." These duplicates live for a single day to perform chores, attend meetings, or conduct investigations before their memories are uploaded back to the original human. The story follows a private investigator who utilizes multiple specialized golems to solve a mystery involving the disappearance of the technology's creator and a conspiracy that threatens the nature of human existence.
My expectations for this book were high, but the narrative proved disappointing. The plot is much too complicated, and the underlying physics and economics are unconvincing. The distillation of consciousness into a standing wave of the soul feels excessively fantastical. Brin's utilizing a high density of new ideas in every sentence makes this writing style difficult to enjoy. Additionally, the frustration due to the frequent use of deus ex machina plot devices undermines the story, as Brin usually excels at foreshadowing his concepts before their application.
2/5 Stars
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