Mickey7 is a special story. It’s not entirely sci-fi, it’s not entirely thriller, but it’s a fascinating fusion of philosophical conundrums in a science-fiction setting with a machine-gun pace of a solid thriller.
Mickey Barnes is expendable; he has signed up to be the cannon fodder in scientific planetary explorations where the human touch is needed. He has died 6 times so far but wakes up in a new clone each time engineered from his body tissue. When an incursion with an alien species goes bad, he is rumored to be dead. He makes it out alive only to realize he has already been cloned. Mickey7, meet Mickey8. Only one can actually survive. Edward Ashton takes readers on an enriching journey with fantastic characters and exciting dilemmas with one big question; what makes you YOU?
Edward Ashton’s prose is beautifully elegant. The narrative digs deep into the feelings of Mickey Barnes and his unshakable circumstances that made him sign up to be an expendable. Even with interstellar travel and far too futuristic elements, Ashton explains every single detail in layman’s terms with vivid and familiar descriptions for every reader to visualize in the highest mental resolution possible. The first-person POV is fun and regal, establishing a strong connection between Mickey Barnes and readers where it naturally feels as if Mickey is talking to us.
I went in without knowing the nitty gritty of what to expect and perhaps this is the best way to dive into this book to be completely surprised by the sheer scale of the poignant storytelling with nuanced messages and parallels that hit you late at night and keep you in a perpetual state of marveling at the brilliance and ingenuity of this exquisite world that Edward Ashton has created and filled with life. No wonder Hollywood has already started the process of bringing this book to the big screen.
Follow Kashif on Twitter or contact him via the site.
Purchase Mickey 7
(Note: most indie bookstores can fulfill an order as quickly as larger retailers. Please consider contacting them for your next purchase.)
Barrington Books
Chapter 2 Books
Murder By The Book
Once Upon A Crime
The Book Dragon
The Poisoned Pen
