ou Arrendale can see patterns in protein crystals that most people cannot, making him a great asset to the pharmaceutical company he works for. Lou remembers everything he reads, and learns the equivalent of an undergraduate biology degree in one week. He's also an accomplished fencer. But Lou doesn't understand simple jokes and puns, and he can't follow conversations if people speak too quickly. When startled, he becomes extremely nervous and cannot speak. That's because Lou is autistic. Luckily
for him, mid-21st-century medicine and technology enable him to function in society and live on his own.
Lou follows a careful routine, but that routine is disrupted by simultaneous intrusions into his life. First, his company develops an experimental treatment that could reverse adult autism. One of Lou's bosses, plagued with middle-management penury, sees this as an opportunity to get rid of the autistic team and their extra privileges, while presenting himself as savior to the corporation. He wants the team to sign up for human trials of the treatment, and he won't take no for an answer. The autistics, who have so much trouble understanding social interactions, would seem to be easy targets for his manipulation.
Meanwhile, someone takes up a vendetta against Lou for no reason he can discern. He's threatened and his car is vandalized, forcing him to deal with the "outside" world—police, insurance agents, the very people he most wants to avoid. Lou starts to see just how much he could benefit from the treatment, if it works. At the same time, these new experiences help him grow, and he begins to learn how much he's capable of just the way he is.
An awe-inspiring exploration of autism
Elizabeth Moon fans will undoubtedly be surprised at this departure from her usual high-adventure fare, but if they persist, the surprise will be a pleasant one. It may be a more serious story that she usually tells, but Moon's style is crisp and direct, and the tale moves briskly.
It's impossible for me to know how accurate her depiction of autistic life is, but it's a compelling portrait. Even if this novel weren't set in the future it could be considered science fiction, because Lou lives in a world populated with aliens that are, to him, bizarre and difficult to understand.
This used to bother me, when people were very happy and their faces got shiny, because angry people also get shiny faces and I could not be sure which it was. My parents tried to show me the difference, with the position of eyebrows and so on, but I finally figured out that the best way to tell was the outside corners of the eyes.
Perhaps the worst source of trouble for Lou is the double standard he's held to as an autistic person. He's told never to interrupt, although everyone does. When he tells a doctor he enjoys laser tag he's considered to have "violent tendencies." This scrutiny, if anything, forces Lou deeper into his own world. "Everything in my life that I value has been gained at the cost of not saying what I really think and saying what they want me to say."
What's confusing, though, is that despite all his disadvantages, Lou has a very good life. He copes well, and no one ever takes advantage of him. When he runs into difficulties, understanding people leap to assist him. Lou's got his act together. Which makes it a bit puzzling as to why he even considers the treatment. But maybe that's Moon's point. If life were hard for Lou, it would be too easy for him to make his choice.
All in all this is a well-crafted, captivating novel that science-fiction lovers will enjoy and can then pass on to their mainstream-reading friends.
