The Speed of Dark

An absorbing and thought-provoking book.

The sci-fi aspects of this story are very accessible and are downplayed so that even readers who don't usually read sci-fi should be okay with it. The writing is very smooth, consistent, and highly detailed without being tedious. I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy novels that discuss philosophical issues of life as well as fans of soft sci-fi.

I don't agree with reviewers who find strong parallels between this book and Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes; I find the circumstances in the two books are too different. In Flowers for Algernon, the main character becomes someone so advanced that he experiences his own subsequent decline the way someone with Alzheimer's might experience their inevitable decline: simultaneously aware and not aware of what he is losing. However, in The Speed of Dark,

**SPOILER ALERT**the main character starts out as highly advanced and subsequently becomes a different person, so unaware of how he has changed that the man he was before the change has essentially died.
**END SPOILER**

This book has existential questions at its core about agency, the nature of self, and what makes us human, taking the philosophical discussion of those questions further than Flowers does.

Most of the book is narrated from the point of view of Lou Arrendale, an autist (to use the person-centered language that Lou prefers). At first it was very awkward because it felt very much like these are the language and thoughts that a non-autist would attribute to an autist, in other words it felt like the author's personal voice was impinging too heavily on the story and was too present. However, as the story progressed and I got to know the character better, Lou's voice felt more and more authentic, and the author's voice receded into the background. The uniqueness of Lou's voice is what really carries the book and the metaphysical discussion at its core.

This book does not pass <a href="https://medium.com/@kennyfries/the-fries-test-on-disability-representation-in-our-culture-9d1bad72cc00">The Fries Test on disability representation in our culture</a>, a critique based on the (damaging, denigrating) ways that authors have used disabled characters in the past. Despite this failure, I do appreciate this book. Lou grapples with a decision he has to make -- it is a problematic dilemma with no easy or obvious answers. In the end, he chooses a path. It's great and important that Lou has the agency to decide for himself. I wish the author had put more emphasis on the problematic aspect of the dilemma, but perhaps that would have been overkill.

I kept thinking about this story for days after I finished, and I'm sure the character Lou Arrendale will stay with me for a long time. Highly recommended reading.

Winner of the Nebula Award for science fiction, 2003.

Deeply thoughtful and emotionally affecting near-future novel, told from the point of view of a high-functioning autistic man. Lou is a talented computer programmer. He is also a hobby fencer, which provides most of his attempts at social interaction. His employer has hired several autistic programmers and has learned how to get quality work and have contented employees, while managing the non-traditional interactions.

But when a ground-breaking medical treatment is developed that seems likely to “cure” autism, a new manager tells the staff that the company will pay for the new treatment to make them “normal;” but if they refuse the treatment, they will be fired. Here is the heart of the book. Being autistic is part of Lou’s very identity. If he removes that, who is he? His world view is based on his individual quirks and his job is based on his superior programming ability. Would he even be able to do his job if he got this treatment? Could he lose both his identity and his job?

Popular science fiction writer Elizabeth Moon is also the mother of an autistic son. Writing this in the first person gives the reader a rare insight into the world of autism that few other people could write. It allows us to empathize with Lou’s dilemma. If you were forced to give up some important part of your personality in order to keep your career, even if it might give you advantages in some other ways, would you take that risk?

I really liked the first 3/4 of the book. Decent portrayal of an autist mind, interesting pattern overlays and took the time to have focus not just on interpersonal interactions. The ending... took the easy way out while also throwing away the original character. I'm still reeling from the ending, and feeling like the author's point is that autists are better off not existing at all. Which is just utterly revolting to me.

Set in the near future where it is possible to cure autism, Moon, the author and parent of a child with autism addresses the question “what is normal?” What happens to those who aren’t “normal”? The Speed of Dark is a powerful and thought provoking book which raises a lot of questions and provides insight into society and how we treat those who don’t meet society’s definition of “normal” and this future world’s solution. This is one of my favorites, but as a parent of a child with autism I have horribly mixed feelings about the ending and the main character’s choice.

While some may find it slow, it is written from the main character's point of view which provides great insight into how someone with autism may think and feel. Stick with it... you won't be sorry!

This is one of the best books I have ever read. There are other worlds out there and people live in them.

I found Moon's 'The Speed of Dark' to be a slow read. The premise centres on an experimental autism cure in the near future and whether the main character, Lou, a high functioning autistic man, should undergo the treatment. Unfortunately, Moon tries to create a first person point-of-view of Lou with a 'dialect' that is supposed to get inside the head of Lou and his speach patterns. This 'dialect' is repeatitious. It was often slow going which was not helped by a weak plot. The novel was OK.

Excellent! Engrossing.

Wonderful insights in the world of autism. Gives the reader much to ponder regarding their relationships with people with disabilities.

This book is an incredible depiction of what it is like to live as a person with autism. It is well-written, an entertaining read, and addresses the important question of whether a person would be the same person with and without a cognitive disability -- how does having such a disability contribute to who a person is. This is an amazing book.

This is one of the best books I have ever read. . . .a great novel that provides an accurate picture of what life is like for an autistic person.