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In 1975, four couples were seeking treatment at a fertility clinic in Virginia. In each case, the wife was implanted with a maturing blastula ten or twelve days after fertilization. Every family believed it was getting a unique specimen or child. Each family was from a different part of the country and lived very different lives. Happily, each treatment was successful, and all four women gave birth to a baby boy.
Each of the boys grew up in his respective hometown and showed physical prowess and academic promise. Traveling different paths for college and/or careers, each young man grew into a prosperous professional, husband, and father. However, every boy was often haunted by vivid dreams. Each often saw what looked like a copy or copies of themselves doing things they had never done. And they often seemed to feel the other copy in their dreams. In addition, judging from their large size, red hair, and green eyes, the boys began to wonder about their parents. None had been told they weren’t genetically children of their parents.
Eventually, the boys start to find one another and even realize they can communicate with each other while asleep. After testing, they determine that they are all four identical twins and decide it is best to keep that a secret from the world. They later learn that a freak lightning strike and a lab worker are to blame for their identical existences. However, they begin to question if they share a soul, and it appears there is an unknown outside group that is also interested in them.
Criss’ novel is targeted at readers who like to think about the big “what if” questions involving science, technology, and religion. It is not science fiction in the strain of Star Wars or similar works, but more like an exploratory discussion of what could happen as science progresses, such as what was often done by Isaac Asimov. Criss uses science similarly to Michael Crichton in that he works tirelessly to base as much of his work on current science, making his writing as believable as possible.
This book clearly shows the author has spent a lot of time researching his ideas and locations. His technical explanations and descriptions of locales and related events are detailed and thorough. In addition, the writer has obviously had the book edited, although a few minor mistakes have still slipped through.
Many authors have found a way to make digressions in their works and provide the reader with a fascinating insight into what are seemingly unrelated topics, only to have the deviation actually enhance the overall scope of the work. This work’s digressions, although related, can occasionally come across as excerpts from science or history books, providing almost encyclopedic information to the reader that, at times, can overshadow the narrative. However, readers of speculative fiction who prefer to have some added nonfictional depth to their novels will likely relish this feature and may find this combination a technically interesting and thoughtful read.