We Are Satellites by Sarah Pinsker is… wow. Proof that I need a bit more faith in the good authors because Pinsker went places with this story I was not expecting and that is glorious! In the near future, Pilot is released. It’s a small brain implant that allows the brain to come close to multitasking. Not entirely, but real damn close. It starts as a fad but soon becomes a tipping point to society as governments move to subsidize them, schools shift to teach students who are suddenly learning differently… and the kids who can’t or won’t get a Pilot. Cynically? I was ready for hiveminds and AIs and hellish dystopian futures. Instead….
Here’s the family: two moms, an older brother, and a younger sister. Brother gets a Pilot. One of his moms (who works for their local Congressman) gets one because, well, the job suddenly requires one. The other mom refuses. The daughter can’t get one because she gets seizures. And the story goes from there.
There’s intrigue, yes. There’s drama, big and small. But it never crossed over into Terminator territory. It’s just the four of them, their social circles, their circumstances. There are lies and reconciliation, there’s family and family drama. And I loved.
–Chris Blakeley, Seattle, WA
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