The Mirror Man

Gilmartin explores the nature of selfhood in this bracing sci-fi debut. Jeremiah Adams agrees to participate in a radical experiment conducted by his employer, ViGen pharmaceuticals, for a cool $10 million. He’ll take a “twelve-month sabbatical from his own life” and be replaced by a clone of himself. Through hidden cameras, Jeremiah will observe the clone interacting with his family, friends, and coworkers and report on whether the clone’s behavior differs from what his own would be in any given situation. Jeremiah dutifully reports his findings to data analyst Brent Higgins, whom he soon befriends, but hides his concerns that his dog and his ailing mother appear to suspect that the clone is not him. Then Jeremiah’s mother dies, and dark secrets about the true purpose of the experiment surface. As Jeremiah and his clone’s personalities diverge more and more, Jeremiah determines to save what’s left of his shattered life. Gilmartin raises the stakes with a mysterious subplot about ViGen’s miracle drug, Meld, but leaves several threads frustratingly unresolved. Though Jeremiah’s reports occasionally become repetitive, the philosophical and psychological issues are well-developed and the climactic finale is thrilling. Gilmartin’s thought-provoking tale is well worth a look. Agent: Will Roberts, The Gernert Company. (July)