Mickey7 (inspiration for the film Mickey 17) is back in Edward Ashton's latest novel in which a plague on Niflheim forces Mickey to return to his old job as an expendable.
Mickey Barnes is an ex-Expendable. For the past five years he’s spent his time tending tomatoes and cleaning out rabbit hutches instead of mucking around inside active reactor cores and getting dissected by creepers. When a sudden, virulent plague strikes the fledgling human colony on Niflheim, though, he’s forced to return to his old job. Mickey is pressed into duty as both a first responder and a lab rat, expected to die and be replaced as many times as necessary to find a cure.
Funny thing, though. Despite the best efforts of the colony’s medical team, Mickey seems to be the only person unable to contract the bug. As more and more colonists sicken and die and the colony spirals into panic, Command is forced to contemplate Reset―sterilizing the colony completely to eradicate the plague, then repopulating it with hundreds of stored embryos, to be raised under the watchful eye of a dozen freshly printed copies of Mickey Barnes.
No matter how bad things get, Mickey can’t let that happen. He has a daughter of his own now, and even if he has to die a hundred times in a hundred different ways, he’s determined to find a way to make sure that she survives.
It’s a lot, but after all, Mickey’s already died seven times. After that, how hard could this be?
The series
In the vast expanse of space, where survival means pushing the boundaries of human endurance and identity, the Mickey7 series explores the fragility of life, the weight of existence, and the consequences of unchecked technological ambition. Set in a future where humanity has set its sights on distant planets, this gripping sci-fi series follows Mickey, a seemingly expendable worker on an interplanetary mission. But when Mickey dies—and is promptly cloned to continue his hazardous tasks—it becomes clear that there's far more at stake than just the survival of one individual.
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The series masterfully blends dark humor, philosophical questions, and heart-pounding action in a narrative that challenges our understanding of what it means to be human. With each death and rebirth, Mickey’s struggle to retain his sense of self grows more complex. The cold, unforgiving landscape of a distant planet and the ethical dilemmas of cloning and human identity create a world where trust is fragile, and survival is a daily gamble.
At its core, Mickey7 is more than just a tale of exploration—it’s a journey into the soul of its protagonist, whose very existence is questioned with each new life. The series weaves a tapestry of tension, humor, and deep introspection, where the line between man and machine becomes increasingly blurred. As Mickey’s story unfolds, readers are drawn into a thought-provoking exploration of life, death, and the human spirit—what we’ll endure to survive, and what we might lose in the process.
Through an intricately detailed world and complex characters, Mickey7 offers a refreshing and deeply compelling take on the sci-fi genre. It’s a story that doesn’t just ask where humanity is headed—it makes you wonder who we’ll be when we get there. Each book builds on a foundation of high-stakes adventure and existential musings, making it an unforgettable journey for anyone who dares to venture into the unknown.
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