The Personifid Project [Paperback]

I can only assume the Publisher's Weekly reviewer above is unfamiliar with SF as a genre. If every story with a plot that revolves around the conflict between advanced technology and what it means to be human is derivative of the Matrix, then so is E. M. Forster's "The Machine Stops" (machine takes over the world unbeknownst to humans, keeps humans in little individual rooms where it provides everything they need virtually, machine is battled by last few remaining free humans in the deserted wastes of Earth). Except that Forster's story was published in 1928.

The most significant difference between the Matrix and the Personifid Project is that the technology in Personifid is not self-controlling and self-motivated - it is under the control of humans who have very human motives, which presents us with a completely different set of moral/intellectual issues than stories containing self-aware/self-determining technology. And Bartlett is nice enough not to present us with pat answers to those issues, trusting us to do our own thinking and come to our own conclusions.

Another nice thing is that, unlike much fiction containing overt spiritual material, nobody in Personifid goes from sinner to saint in one easy step, and we never all have to choke on the sugar coating. The emotional and spiritual struggles are believable, and Aphra doesn't undergo tremendous leaps of personality development that no real person could match, so we can identify with her.

So, while the story does follow certain of the SF conventions, that's because... it's SF. What really matters, in this story and every other, is how the conventions are fleshed out with the author's own beliefs and characters. This, The Personifid Project does very well.

I was ready to break into hives in this, because I guessed early on that it might be some religious book - so I expected it to degrade into nonsense. It didn't. What little there was, was more like new age thinking, which is like watered-down Buddhism, which is acceptable to me. No attempt to preach or to convert.

While the structure might need a little architectural shoring up, the story is still a fun thrill-ride, with several surprises and twists that actually made me gasp - took my breath away. Post-apocalyptic sci-fi is practically its own genre (not original to the Matrix, or even to Blade Runner) - it's a staple of science fiction, and that should not be held against this writer.

She's refreshingly original, and amidst all the inventiveness of the plot there was also humor, which sets this story above and apart. I do agree with the Amazon review, however, that the author brings up many intriguing ideas that might have been interesting to investigate. In this story they're more like a haunting perfume, or a melody heard on the wind - food for thought, as concepts which might soon affect our actual, not just virtual, reality. Questions about the nature of life, when does something cross the line and become a life-form, what is free will, will tease the readers mind as reality evokes haunting moments from this memorable book. If this is a first book, it's an impressive debut.

Welcome to the future. Robots and androids mingle with humans. Sky cars are the leading form of transportation. And the perennial obsession for longevity has created a technology so advanced that humans can now transfer their souls into artificial bodies, or personifids. The ultimate cure. A way to live forever. But what if Sevig Empire Corporation, the leading manufacturer of personifid bodies, has developed a way to control them? And what if one woman holds the coveted key to launch the project, but she doesn't know it?

Aphra is a young receptionist at Sevig Corporation whose life spins out of control when she accidentally hears a disturbing conversation meant for other ears. She hurriedly covers her tracks so no one will know. But when she witnesses her friend's "discontinuation" she's forced to flee Min City and the only life she's ever known. With assassins closing in and nowhere to go, she's thrust together with an outcast couple who might be able to save her. But what's with their unswerving belief in the Tri-une Soul? And how do they know so much about Sevig Empire?

Aphra marvels at the couple's strange world where they prepare food the "old way" in a kitchen, their house computers aren't equipped to administer Tranquility (a calming drug), and they actually own a real dog. More comfortable with robots and androids, she's standoffish at first, but the more time she spends with the couple, the more she yearns for what they have.

With Aphra as the prize for bounty hunters and assassins, what could she possibly have that Sevig Empire wants? The final revelation comes as an unexpected twist, and eventually it all comes to a head in a satisfying climatic battle between Sevig Empire and Aphra's new friends.

The Personifid Project mixes elements of Star Wars and The Matrix into a fun cocktail of futuristic faith-based fiction. Some plot points might be predictable to sci-fi afficionados, but there are enough surprises to compel even die-hards to flip pages. The pop culture references (and one character's sarcastic humor) keep things entertaining--a computer reads Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis, dc Talk's Supernatural CD is played as ancient music, and Aphra's first encounter with a real dog will make animal lovers smile.

One of four novels launching the Realms fiction line, The Personifid Project helps fill the derth of Christian science fiction and fantasy novels. The novel is a great escape and full of timeless truths.

--Reviewed by C.J. Darlington for Infuze Magazine

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