Science Fiction Book Review
A snarky, surprisingly thoughtful ride through life, death, and identity on a struggling space colony.
A snarky, surprisingly thoughtful ride through life, death, and identity on a struggling space colony.
Mickey 7 by Edward Ashton is a fun foray into life on a struggling space colony with a premise that’s a little darker than it first appears.
At its core, the story asks a deeply philosophical question: If you’re a copy, are you still you or someone else entirely?
Fortunately, the book never gets too heavy. Mickey himself keeps things grounded with a steady stream of snark, even as his situation grows increasingly grim. And grim it is.
Mickey signs up as an “expendable” on a colonization mission, essentially volunteering to die over and over again, however the crew needs him to. When he dies, a new version of him is printed with his memories intact, ready to go again. It’s a job no one else wants for obvious reasons.
Despite the dark setup, the story stays surprisingly light. Mickey’s voice carries the narrative, and his awareness of how bizarre everything is makes the reader feel in on the joke.
The book also brushes up against bigger ideas without getting bogged down in them. Questions of identity, the ethics of cloning, and even colonialism slip in around the edges. There’s a sense that humanity’s instinct to conquer and reshape new worlds doesn’t quite fit especially on a planet we weren’t meant for.
Still, Mickey 7 doesn’t linger too long in the heavy stuff. It keeps things moving, balancing its darker themes with humor and momentum.
If you’re looking for science fiction that’s thoughtful but not overwhelming, something that makes you think a little while still being fun to read, this one hits that sweet spot.
And if you ever find yourself thinking, “This is getting weird…” Mickey’s thinking the same thing.
