2079: A War for Brain Enhancement

by Donald P. Robin

This fast-paced thriller set in the year 2079 continues the futuristic story begun in the novel Libator (2013), about a secretive, highly advanced nation carved out of southern Somalia. Four years after the events of the first novel, the country's leaders are shocked when Iranian Al Quds agents kidnap fifty young children from daycare centers in a bid to extort the secrets of brain enhancement from Libatoran scientists. To retrieve the children, Libator sends a five-person team of enhanced humans, all specially adapted for high intelligence, language skills, hand-to-hand combat, and heightened sensory perception. The team includes Stephanie Li and John Thompson, who must avoid capture by Iranian intelligence agents and infiltrate a fortress-like uranium enrichment facility in order to rescue the children who are being held hostage--including their own three-year-old son, David. In the background looms the prospect of all-out war between Iran's Revolutionary Guard and the robot army of Libator.Donald P. Robin, former professor of business ethics at Wake Forest University, is the author of two science fiction novels, five nonfiction books, and numerous academic articles. He also holds degrees in mechanical engineering and business administration. In his novels, he incorporates the knowledge gained from his lifelong interest in neuroscience, military weapons technology, and philosophy of science.

224 pages, Paperback

First published March 12, 2018

Reviews

[Don Gerstein · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book’s blurb describes the story as a “…fast-paced thriller set in the year 2079.” The book is a stand-alone, though it is the second book from Donald P. Robin and reintroduces characters from his first book, “Libator.” While the description intrigued me, the book did not live up to its billing.

The plot idea has promise, revolving around a new country that possesses brain enhancement technology. Another country desires to obtain the technology and decides to use force, kidnapping 50 Libator children. The main story details Libator’s efforts to rescue the children without allowing the situation to develop into a full-blown war.

Other than some descriptions of the wonderful things the citizens can do, the sci-fi aspect of this story is marginal. The great majority of technology in 2079 has not progressed past 2018, and much of the science that is spoken of as “new” has already been discovered. The political setting (aside from Libator) seems to be nothing more than a rehash of current day situations. A sci-fi story set in the future needs the author to take greater leaps, and that effort is not present in this book.

There is also much flab in the writing, unnecessary dialogue and description that grind the story flow to a halt. In addition to the hi-how-are-you-I-am-fine-how-are-you padding, there are numerous times when a description of the action is repeated in the next chapter as one character describes it to another.

The dialogue is stilted in many passages, and I constantly found myself questioning why the author would make his characters talk as they did. Because they all talked similarly, it affected the characterizations, and people became more homogenized than distinctive. Stories set in the future allow authors to invent words, something to make readers feel like they are somewhere else but the present. The constant use of everyday speech was another missed opportunity to make the book unique.

All of the above slowed the pace, and the excitement of the climax was not strong enough to force me to forget the predictability of the entire novel as it limped to the end. A good editor would probably been able to raise this story a level or two, but in its current state, it is a two-star offering.

My thanks to NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book.