Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #100878 in Books
• Published on: 2005-01-31
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 176 pages

Ellen Feig, Skuawk Literature Reviews
A well-written, at times riveting story. Wakely is clearly an excellent and concise writer. Great bedtime reading material.

GetBookReviews.com
This was so much more than anticipated. Full of emotions and twists, you will not want this book to end.

Genrefluent.com (Diana Tixier Herald)
Thought provoking and entertaining.

Customer Reviews

Courtesy of Teens Read Too
Young Percival Marlowe was a typical science geek; elderly Professor Marlowe is a Pulitzer Prize-winning astrophysicist who needs more time to complete all of the brilliant projects he has yet to share with the world. Unable to find a way to retrieve his own youth, Marlowe backs the project of neurosurgeon Carl Dorning, hoping but never truly believing that Dorning's revolutionary technique of transplanting memories will prove successful by the time Marlowe's rapidly-approaching death arrives.

Dorning knows that he only has one shot at transplanting Marlowe's essence, and realizes that the Professor doesn't have much time. When he meets a young homeless boy, Miguel Sanchez, all of the pieces begin to fall into place. But, when Marlowe finally realizes that this procedure may actually happen, he begins to question the moral implications of Dorning's potential success: "You've wrestled with the procedures and won, but not with the long term consequences, Dorning. Don't you see? If you're successful, you might have found a unique way to create a new class of slaves" (p. 42).

Mark Wakely's first novel tackles some big issues, forcing the reader to weigh the value of the life of a genius of science against that of an illiterate street urchin. Is the potential value of continuing a life already proven invaluable to mankind worth the sacrifice of one homeless boy who doesn't even know his own age? Or is the unique spirit Miguel brings to humanity more important than all of the equations and theories a second life for Professor Marlowe could offer?

2006 EPPIE Award

2003 Authorlink New Author Award for Science Fiction

2002/03 Fountainhead Productions National Writing Contest Winner

2003 Writemovies.com International Writing Competition, Finalist

Reviewed by: Mechele R. Dillard

Interesting
Professor Percival Marlowe is an elderly astrophysicist. The former Nobel Prize winner is one of the most brilliant scientific people of our century. He is at the brink of completing his greatest research. However, due to his rapidly declining health there is not enough time to finish it before he dies.

Doctor Carl Dorning was a highly regarded neurosurgeon who had a brain storm during an operation. He resigned from his work in order to turn his time toward proving his idea. For almost twenty years Carl secretly works in his basement lab on transferring one person's memories into another person's mind. Carl finally convinces Percival, the man he respects above all others, to fund the experiments.

Miguel Sanchez is a homeless, pre-teen boy. His mother is recovering in a medical facility. He has no idea where his cruel father currently is. So Miguel lives on the street with a few older kids, begging cash from passing traffic. Carl convinces Miguel to live with Percival for awhile and keep the fading professor company during his last days. In return, Miguel will have a roof over his head, three meals a day, and then receive "the gift of truly superior intelligence".

Percival and Miguel believes Carl's experimental surgery would transfer Percival's memories into Miguel's brain. Then Miguel would either instantly gain Percival's intelligence or occasionally get flashes of the elderly man's memories. Either way, someone would always remember Percival. Carl did not bother to inform either of them that only one set of memories could exist in the boy's head.

As the memories and essence of an astrophysicist comes forth, all that is the boy will be lost forever. The result is a tug-of-war for ownership of an eleven-year-old's body.

**** A scary look at the world of science when an intelligent doctor's morals become twisted. The wish for immortality can be all consuming. Even when one knows that it is morally wrong to take without asking, especially in this manner, the temptation can still be great. Readers get a glimpse into how even the most brilliant minds alive can fear death, try to cheat it, and (hopefully) learn to let go. Do not begin this book believing that you can guess the outcome. This is a very good sci-fi that will leave you in deep thoughts long after you finish reading. ****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.