From Vin, he of Sportscolumn and Favorite10 fame, I received Rollback, the best Robert J. Sawyer novel I’ve read to date. Per usual, simple premise opens rich exposition of some eternal questions. The narrator’s wife Sarah decoded an alien message (a la Carl Sagan’s Contact) long ago. Now, another message has arrived.
But Sarah is 87 years old and failing, like her husband. To keep her alive for the message interpretation, a very wealthy software mogul pays for her body to be “rolled back” for extra life, via gene rejuvenation. Sarah insists that her husband Don also receive the expensive treatment, to resigned acceptance.
The twist? The rejuvenation only works for Don. Exploration ensues of what’s it like to be young again, with all the knowledge of a life fully lived already. What pulls you in is the mixed emotions of Don’s family, from wife Sarah to children and grandchildren. The rejuvenation brings his appearance and strength back to that of a man in his 20s, and he finds himself attracted to a young woman scientist who is much like his wife Sarah when they first met 60-odd years ago. It’s complicated, but interesting without being preachy. I’d recommend this novel ahead of other Sawyer books, and before many others generally.
Sawyer always blends multiple scientific themes in his stories, without ever leaving the human personalities behind. In this one, he does it all very well. Rollback was a Hugo Award finalist in 2008. If Rollback didn’t win, then I want to read the other finalists.
