i2: A Biotech Science Fiction Thriller

by James Bannon

James Bannon's debut novel, i2, is a gripping psychological thriller built on a bold science-fiction premise. On the eve of creating a revolutionary procedure by which memories can be uploaded and stored, renowned bio-software engineer Edward Frame is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Secretly turning the procedure upon himself, Frame prepares to begin life again. But something goes terribly wrong. Instead of returning to the woman he loves, Edward is born into the family of his rival: a man who has stolen his company, his fortune, his widow and his children. His towering intellect and experience trapped in the form of a helpless child, Edward Frame embarks on an odyssey of life that is in turns exhilarating and terrifying, joyous and tragic.

As the plot races from one twist to the next, Bannon cleverly elevates his page-turning thriller into a profound exploration of the growth of the human soul and the true meaning of sacrifice and love.

Watch the exciting trailer here: youtube.com/watch?v=56f0NJlxzEw

Genres: Fiction, Science Fiction, Thriller, Fantasy, Psychological, Suspense

269 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 27, 2011

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF'd at 65%. Interesting idea but BORING execution. There is nothing "thrilling" about this book. It plodded along. Heck, we didn't even get to plot until about 10% into the book...up until then it was all backstory. i finally quit because nothing of significance was happening, and I didn't care about the characters.

And the almost the entire story is written as narrative. Dialogue, dialogue, wherefore art thou dialogue? Answer: not in this book. It was strange and puzzling and...boring.

It would have gotten only one star, but I though the scientific concept was interesting.

[Chris · Rating 1 out of 5]

It started out with an interesting scifi premise, but about half way through turned into sordid teenage soft porn. Very awkward and stunted, but apparently Bannon has found some fans based on the other reviews I see.

[Josh Bickford · Rating 2 out of 5]

This could have been an all-timer, but got caught up making me read about sick stuff nobody would want to read about.

It's too bad, if this had been written with a pg-13 rating in mind and stayed away from all the deviant sexual stuff it could have been amazing.

[Rodney · Rating 3 out of 5]

In James Bannon's novel "i2" Edward Frame creates technology that allow's the essence of a human being to be stored on a computer and downloaded to an unborn child. In essence its immortality of the mind and spirit if not the body or even the soul. As many have said this is an interesting premise.

The book started out rather slowly with lots of background material about the research and some back story about Edward, his mistress and his family but quickly moved forward after his essence was transplanted to the unborn child. I found the birth and early years of Edward's new incarnation of Adam to be the most interesting and exciting part of the book. Much of this was humorous as he explored his body and world. For me the story took a bit of a wrong turn as Adam moved into adolescence and began a destructive round of sexual encounters and drug abuse.

At that point I believe so much more could have been done with the novel. What if the accomplishments that were imagined by Edward Frame early in the novel could actually have been achieved by Adam? I think this would have made a more exciting and unpredictable story. As it was it just degenerated into one teenage sexual fantasy after another.

I also wanted to mention I hate reading books with no chapter break. I think that alone prejudiced me against this book. On a positive note I enjoyed the way the author ended the story and found Adam's selfless act some redemption for all the destruction he caused earlier.

I wish I could give this book 3 1/2 stars. I believe that if the author had just taken a deep breath, maybe paused for a chapter break and thought more about the possibilities the book laid out in the beginning he could have written something really special. As it is there is still much to recommend about this novel but like his character Adam it fails to reach its potential.

[Jacki Donnelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first half of this book was a fantastic read for me. The story's concept was unique and delivered quite masterfully. The plot seemed to flow well, the characters were well developed and I was involved in their lives.

Once the second half of the book (and by this "2nd half" reference I am referring to the main characters' transformation or 2nd act of his life) I became less satisfied with the writing and delivery of the story. In my opinion it was a little too raunchy for my taste. I caught myself almost abandoning the book a few times because I felt the point and actions of the main character could have been delivered in a less vulgar way and have the same impact to the story.

Overall it was an okay read. I would have liked to see the concept taken in a different manner.

[Eric Wallace · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unique premise, with an interesting presentation to match.

But, much as others have written in their reviews here, the book takes a dive not long after the protagonist's re-birth, where the book (a) loses its drive and connection to the central love story, and (b) turns into porno smut as the author tries to demonstrate every detail of the character "hitting bottom." Thus, I skipped most of the 3rd chapter (it was just disgusting), and I don't think I missed anything worthwhile.

All told, I'm left with the feeling that this is such a great idea with lots of possibilities, but it was wasted on an unconvincing tale of love and loss. (Come to think of it, that's nearly exactly how I felt about Charlie Kaufman's movie, "Being John Malkovich" too!)

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the concept of this book was a really good one. I feel like it could have gone so many different ways. I was sooo interested in what was going to happen to our main character... until half way through... we start to get a glimpse of the direction the story is heading and it turns into way more of a story of a troubled teen than internal struggles between young/old, new/used, good/evil, ect. It becomes rather mundane. Even the "action" sequences in the second half of this book leave a lot to be desired. I was hoping for a darker series of events. I eventually just stopped caring about what was happening and wanted to get through it. Oh well...

[Gloria Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating premise in this book - scientist figures out how to download his mind with all its knowledge and memories, then transfer it to a fetus, who is then born with his knowledge and memories. Imagine being an infant and toddler with all of this going on in your head. There is a true bad guy in the book and the main character has to live through some pretty rough times. Not only that, but its a love story with some pretty incredible hurdles. Great read.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a fast-paced, psychological thriller that offers the idea of reincarnation with a sinister twist. Brutal at times, and touching in others. As a dad, I can't help but shed tears when I read (and re-read) the soccer scene in the closing pages. But don't skip ahead, you'll want to follow every twist and turn.

[Mike Cavosie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sci fi and psy fi.

[N · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm in between a "liked it" and "did not like it" rating. Maybe that's just "sorta liked it." I am pleased to see that other readers and I were on the same wavelength. I'm not an idiot: the book really did get ridiculous in the middle third. So yeah, the book did have an interesting premise, a very SOMA-like one. (Great game, go play it, better than this book.) I kept writing notes on the pages, predicting what would happen next, and bias aside, I think what I wrote would've been far more interesting than what actually happened. I'm confused at what the copy for this novel calls "twists," because I didn't notice any. Anyway, let's pretend there's a guy who gets wronged by his archenemy; then, after years of preparation, the guy is ready to get revenge on his archenemy, and right at the moment he's about to fulfill his revenge, the archenemy drops a bomb, unveils the curtain, pulls the rug out from under him---whatever you want to call it---kind of how excellently it was done in Star Wars, "No, I am your father," kind of thing. That was excellent, that was memorable. That's what I wanted to happen in this book, and I had a great idea for it to happen. Unfortunately, it's not what happened. What happened was, "Ha! Gotcha!" And the archenemy goes, "Nooo!" And then that's it. Nearly the end of story. Not a twist, not exciting, not a climax. I'm not even sure what that was. Anyway, the potential for the story was immense, but that middle third of lecherous deviancy was... drawn out. If you want a similar premise but more interesting, go get yourself the game SOMA and play it. The ending is worth it. This book? Had potential, lost it in the middle third, tried to gain it back but did so poorly.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is really a tale of two books, as the first half of the story was pretty good but the second half of the story went so far downhill I had to quit reading it.

There's really not much action or dialogue - it's more of a narrative. The first half of the story had some intriguing possibilities as you think of your internal Walter Mitty moment and "what if" you could do things over again. However, with the second half of the book it just seemed to plod along and along and along with a preoccupation of a sexually frustrated adult trapped in an adolescent body (with no idea of where this story was heading) I had to quit reading it.

I picked this up for free during a Kindle promotion and, as I type this review, I see the pricing has reverted back to $5.99: save your money and look for something else.

[Karen Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compelling

I could not stop reading until the story was told. That hasn't happened to me since The Shining when I was up most of the night reading, which makes me thankful I started this book on Saturday morning. James Bannon made me look at my life's experiences from a different, larger perspective making me feel both a truly small cog in that I lived and reacted to life as most of us do, and yet recognizing that I am truly a unique human because I made the choices I have to this point, arriving where I am: where no one has been or will be again. I'll look forward to hearing from Mr. Bannon again.

[Linda Callen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very thought provoking. The story does move along quite well with a lot of twists and turns. From reading previous reviews, it seems that people either loved or hated it. It looks like most of the negative reviews stopped reading when "Adam" hit puberty and was exploring sex and drugs. But, it is all part of the story of growing up with adult memories and a teenagers body. Makes you think ... "what if". I liked it.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Classic

I haven’t read a science fiction novel in decades and I’m not sure there’s another this good awaiting for me. Mr. Bannon, you blew my mind. It was especially appealing to me as I approach my 92nd year. I would not relive my life, thanks very much, because one is enough for anyone.

[〰️Beth〰️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an unusual book. It has an interesting prremise and I see why some one would score it low but it truely does make you think of mortality and how you might alfter things if given the knowledge. 3.5 ⭐️

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

i2 takes the philosophical hypothesis and turns it into a literary one. What would you do if you could relive your life with all of your adult knowledge? This premise is what drew me to this book. I sat and finished it in one sitting.

It took me through a range of emotions from amusement and raucous laughter to disgust and utter distain. It poses a subtle psychological question to the reader. IT leaves you questioning your own moral compass by the actions of the protagonist. I personally found the character to be justified in all his action even when I was disgusted by it. Because no one can really say with certainty what they would or should do in that situation.

Even before I finished I knew it was one of my favorite reads of 2012. It’s making question my notion of ‘self’ based on the premise. Would I really want to relive my life with the accumulated knowledge of a previous life? Its left to the reader to make their own judgments on the subject. God help the person who eventually does, they could very well be creating a hell of their own design.

James Bannon does an amazing job of showing the two iterations of this man’s lives. He not only shows the benefits, which at hilarious at times, but also the pitfalls of living with the ghost of your former self. From the first line to the last line, I don’t think I’ve read a more drama change in a specific character. I will definitely be reading this one again in the coming year.

[Tobin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise is cool. The follow through on the "awakening" in the body of a newborn is also well done. It's when Adam/Ed encounters too many depraved teens that the story really strains at reality.

While there is plenty of explanation for the science (fiction) behind the transplanting of a person into another there wasn't enough to explain the extraordinary number of depraved and sex-starved teens in this non-specific era in humanity. Given any detail on how the book's civilization might be different than our own I tend to go with what I know/believe. And one thing I don't believe is all the teenage sex - slightly deviant as well as completely boring - had by Adam/Ed. If Bannon was trying to show how far Adam/Ed had fallen then there are many other ways to show it and I think the method Bannon chose served the story poorly.

It's a strong novel that got a bit off-track but worked its way back and had a satisfying, if a little unclear, ending. It was hard to put down and the familial and love themes resounded well with me.

I gave it 7/10 on my personal scale.

-tpl

[Matt McRoberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

i2 was a fairly interesting story having to do with the end of one man's life and through science he is reborn and starts living a second life. I like how the story is broken up in to different areas first with Edward Frame and his eventual death then to his rebirth and the first few years of that life till jumping to him as a teenager.

For the most part the story stayed entertaining that i didn't ever get really bored with it, tho it did have some parts that were a little slower then the rest. The sceince stuff was interesting and i liked the whole brain copy, cloning, and then downloading of the copied brain to the clone stuff and how it was used in this novel to form an entertaining story.

Overall a great story worth the time to read it. It gave for a lot of scenarios to arise to the main character and how he would react basically having more then one lifes experience (or in some cases lack of experience) with different aspects of life. I enjoyed i2.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found that this tale seemed to lose its way about a third of the way through. I don't think the quality of writing faltered, only the tenor of the story. There are, of course, huge inherent difficulties in making a tale of somewhat outlandish events seem believable. The science is well enough handled but Adam's development is hard to swallow. There can be no right or wrong to this but the period of Adam's youth changed the tone of voice of the piece and it seemed to lose direction for a time. All in all, though, a well written and thoughtful book that held the attention and was largely an enjoyable read.

[J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is not for every scifi reader. The science fiction is what allows the plot but this is all about the characters, personalities, and relationships. The book is well written, and moves along fairly well after a somewhat slow start. However, as the book moves along the connections and reasons for the up front information become clear. The ending wasn't a complete surprise but felt like it was the right ending, not with a bang but with a quiet goodbye. If you like action packed scifi, I don't think this is your book. If you like more cerebral material then you probably will enjoy this one.

[Carly Kirk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting...

Have to admit I feel a bit ambivalent about this book, the main character is emotionally distanced in the beginning and then immoral. Fortunately the author was also able to make him a person I felt sympathy for. In the end, he does seem to have learned to be a better person.

On the other hand, the story he is caught up in is very fascinating. An adult consciousness uploaded into a fetus and then integrating itself/himself into a growing child. The psychology of it all, who he becomes verses who he was, made for a very interesting read.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Neat idea

I thought this author had a great idea. Had it not been for all the rambling rhetoric and teenage foolishness, I'd have given a five star rating. Those parts should be cut out and the book made into a novelette. The actual interactions between the main characters was great. The confusion and changing I2 was a great idea and handled well. I did enjoy those parts. Actually, it could be made into an interesting movie. Again, what is it with authors having to use curses throughout their books? It was disconcerting for me but redacting works.

[Rich · Rating 4 out of 5]

A psychological thriller in the style of, dare I say it, Stephen King. It is not for the faint of heart or those offended by graphic novels. However, as soon as I got into the story it had me hooked. There were a million ways it could have gone, and I could not predict where it went.

All-in-all, if you appreciate Stephen King's work and style, I believe you'll enjoy this first novel by James Bannon.

[Lori Budd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book - it is the old adage of how far should science go to sustain life? just because we have the knowledge to do something is it right to do it ethically? Edward Frame and Samantha think more about themselves than the true essence of what they plan on doing. it is futuristic love story that really may not be that far in our future. genetics is an amazing thing!

[Debbie Winn Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bought this as a 99¢ Kindle special but really enjoyed it. The story is about Edward Frame, a renowned bio-software engineer, who created a procedure to download the activity and memories from the brain and insert them into another being. After being diagnosed with terminal cancer, he downloads and turns the procedure on himself. The story of his coming back is not at all what he had hoped for.

[Kate Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

This plot of this book certainly was different. Overall, I liked it. The main character engages in fairly explicit sex; if this type of fiction bothers you, don't read the book. Otherwise I would recommend the book because of the different premise.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very quick read and very compelling. I kept thinking that he mist have written this thinking it would be a movie - it is very visual. Lots to think about, and I will be thinking about it for some time to come.

[Paul Richer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strange, bizarre at times, and disjointed. It made me think about scientific research in this field a bit, but ghd storyline was a bit much. I may read another book by Bannon, but will have to think twice.

[Sharon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the concept of this book. Having your memories implanted into a new self. Growing up with the knowledge you had from your former life. I enjoyed reading the emotions the main character went through as his new self grew up, but the ending was a real let down.