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A Novel
by Thomas Mullen
Book Reviewed by:A riveting crime novel with a speculative edge about the ways our perceptions of reality can be manipulated.
Seven years ago, everyone in the world went blind in a matter of months. Technology helped people adjust to the new normal, creating a device that approximates vision, downloading visual data directly to people's brains. But what happens when someone finds a way to hack it and change what people see?
Homicide detective Mark Owens has been on the force since before The Blinding. When a scientist is murdered, and the only witness insists the killer was blacked out of her vision, Owens doesn't believe her—until a similar murder happens in front of him. With suspects ranging from tech billionaires to anti-modernity cultists—and with the bodies piling up—Owens must conduct an investigation in which he can't even trust his own eyes.
Thomas Mullen, the acclaimed author of Darktown and The Last Town on Earth, delivers an unputdownable crime novel about one man's search for truth in a world of surveillance and disinformation that's all too recognizable.
Beyond the technology and crime at the forefront of this story, Mullen reminds readers of our metaphorical blind spots. When we're close to someone, do we overlook certain warning signs? Can we really see those closest to us most clearly? And, in our quest to be seen, are we overlooking things? While a lot of authors write suspenseful thrillers, Blind Spots stands above many for its intricate world-building and smartly crafted characters. The author resolves the main plot points in satisfying ways, but some elements aren't as nicely tied up. Even now, with the biggest mysteries solved, I keep thinking of the characters. If I had a vidder that would let me see into their futures, I would use it without hesitation...continued
Full Review
(782 words)
(Reviewed by Erin Lyndal Martin).
After a mysterious event that blinded the entire world population, the characters in Blind Spots use devices called vidders to see. In real life, many people are experiencing vision improvement through technology that might sound like something out of a science fiction novel. From smart glasses to implantable contact lenses, vision improvement technologies are proliferating for every need. Unfortunately, in the U.S., few of these options are covered by insurance and therefore are out of reach for many. (I have personally benefited from telling my doctor about my financial situation and having her advocate for me with the manufacturer of my own special lenses.)
The first eSight smart glasses were released in 2013, and the technology has ...
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