Lock In

Lock In is a science fiction police procedural novel by American writer John Scalzi. The book was published by Tor Books on August 26, 2014.[1] The audiobook of the novel was released in two versions, one narrated by Wil Wheaton and the other by Amber Benson.[2]

This article is about the novel. For other uses, see Lock in.
Lock In
Cover of hardcover
AuthorJohn Scalzi
Cover artistPeter Lutjen
CountryUnited States of America
LanguageEnglish
GenreScience fiction, police procedural
PublisherTor Books
Publication date
August 26, 2014
Pages336
ISBN978-0-7653-7586-5
Followed by Head On 

The sequel to this novel is titled Head On,[3] which was released in April 2018.[4]

Plot summary

The world is exposed to a highly contagious virus. Most who get sick experience nothing worse than flu-like symptoms. For 1%, the virus causes the victims to be fully awake, but unable to move or respond to stimulus. This is known as "Lock In", and resembles the real condition known as locked-in syndrome. The illness comes to be known as "Haden's Syndrome" with its victims called "Hadens". Humanoid robotic personal transport units controlled by a Haden's brain (nicknamed "Threeps" after C-3PO from Star Wars) are developed as the primary way for a Haden to interact with the outside world.

25 years after the initial virus exposure, FBI agents Chris Shane (who is a Haden) and Leslie Vann are assigned to a Haden-related murder, with a suspect who is an "Integrator" – someone who can let a Haden use their bodies. If the Integrator was carrying a Haden, then finding the suspect for the murder is complicated. Further Integrator-Haden related murders occur, making the case larger than expected, and as Shane and Vann dig deeper, they uncover a plot to completely shake up the Haden economy.

Companion novella

Lock In is accompanied by a novella, Unlocked: An Oral History of Haden's Syndrome, which provides background details about the origins of the epidemic.[5]

TV adaptation

Legendary Television acquired the rights to Lock In to adapt it into a TV pilot in 2014.[6] However, sometime before March 2017 the TV rights were given up by Legendary.[7]

Reception

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel called it "compulsively readable", and praised Scalzi for having "a combination of skill, vision and intuition." [8]

An analysis at Io9 indicated that, if not for the Sad Puppies ballot-manipulation campaign, "Lock In" would have been a finalist for the 2015 Hugo Award for Best Novel.[9]

References
  1. "Lock In". Macmillan Publishers. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  2. Scalzi, John. "The Lock In Audiobook: Two Versions, Two Narrators. Pre-Order and Get Both". Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  3. About That Deal. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
  4. Head On Done. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  5. John Scalzi: Unlocked: An Oral History of Haden's Syndrome: New York: Tor: 2014
  6. "Legendary TV Buys John Scalzi Novel 'Lock In'". Variety. 2014.
  7. John Scalzi (31 March 2017). "Quick Update on Film/TV Stuff". Retrieved 3 April 2017.
  8. Jim Higgins (22 August 2014). "John Scalzi's 'Lock In' tackles consciousness, identity in a thriller". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  9. This Is What The 2015 Hugo Ballot Should Have Been, by Andrew Liptak, at Io9; published August 23, 2015; retrieved August 7, 2018
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