Less Than Human

by Maxine McArthur

The author of Time Future takes readers into a world torn apart by terrorism and injustice to explore the line that separates human and machine in this novel that is "intriguing and, more importantly, entertaining” ( Science Fiction Chronicle ).

When a factory worker is mysteriously killed by a robot, cybernetics engineer Eleanor McGuire is unwilling to call the incident "human error." In a different part of Osaka, four teenagers are electrocuted in an apparent group suicide, and Police Inspector Ishihara isn't convinced it was self-inflicted. When their investigations cross paths, the foreign scientist and the aging cop find a trail that will lead them to more murders, corporate crime, and a strange online cult led by a secretive guru who promises immortality to his followers if they help him destroy civilization. But how can McGuire and Ishihara stop this psychopath if he doesn't seem to exist?

Genres: Science Fiction, Japan, Fiction

400 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 1, 2004

Reviews

[Rowena Daniells · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Maxine's mystery, near future. Set in Japan, it is interesting because of her insight into Japanese culture,having lived there for 16 years.

[Gwen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love sci fi. and the sci fi part was good and interesting, but there's definitely a colonial, white woman in Japan dynamic. The protagonist is a white woman living in Japan married to a Japanese man. She has some definite Orientalist perceptions of Japanese men, how they are sexist, etc. And she gives not very flattering depictions of Japanese women when they are mentioned in the book. Typical colonial white woman mentality, projected by the author who is--surprise--a white woman living in Japan!! Anyway, the sci fi part was interesting.

[美桜 灯 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid police scifi tech drama. 20 years old but the tech now reads like what exists (with a few exceptions) today.

Above average character motivations and vivid word building.

The focus is really the fast moving plot and character dialogue as the mystery unfolds and connections are made. Reads like a TV drama but nothing cheesey or forced.