Why I picked up this book:

I was directed to this shorter, novella-style story from a writer friend of mine.

The jacket copy didn’t really pique my interest (too vague), but the trigger warning did as I prefer darker, more tumultuous stories.

Note for readers: This is a novella, not a full novel. I think it took maybe an hour or two to read.

This review may contain spoilers.

Skinner Box

A disturbing science fiction story about a seemingly routine scientific mission to Jupiter that is threatened by the interpersonal relationships of its crew.

What I loved:

I was really drawn into the voice of this story. Very clear and engaging.

I also really enjoyed some of the deeper tension and conflict as the story unpacked more about the nanites and the main character’s mission.

Areas needing a touch of refinement:

The ending and ‘revealed truth’ is something I wasn’t a big fan of, but it’s my personal tastes. The whole ‘what is humanity’ question is overdone, and it felt like there was a stronger story with the nanite technology, not with another AI asking the ‘Am I human?’ question. Again, just personal tastes.

Overall:

I really enjoyed the tone and mood of this darker tale. I’d recommend for adult readers who still love exploring all facets of the humanity question and like reading both soft and harder science fiction.

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