Proxy

Gibson (Echogenesis) delivers a relentless cyberpunk adventure in which the very future of humanity is at stake. In the second half of the 21st century, following three pandemics, people find solace in proxy technology, which allows users to put their minds in another person’s body for a few hours. London socialite Stacy Cotter has been mired in scandal since she was caught “proxy hooking,” selling her body for proxy jaunts, years before the start of the book. She’s been hiding from her notoriety in Paris, but now returns to London, where journalist Martin Wilber has agreed to tell her side of the story. Before she can meet him, however, she’s kidnapped and body-jacked by goons hired by her maniacal father, tech entrepreneur Raphael Markov. With Stacy missing, her mother, Amy, hires cantankerous private investigator Ray Thomas to search for her. Meanwhile, a subplot about Dr. Isaac Sizemore, credited with creating proxy, and his AI assistant, Zero, who is able to proxy in multiple bodies at the same time, reveals to the reader the secret purpose of the technology. It’s an expansive tale of innovative science driven by a capable cast of characters whose layers Gibson peals back in alternating chapters. At times cluttered but always unflinching, this ambitious thrill ride coalesces into a cautionary message about the precariousness of humanity. (Self-published)