Overall, I really enjoyed the character and plot development of Mickey7. Many sci-fi books, in my experience, take too much time with the world building and deliver flat characters as a result. Developing the world as told by Mickey's understanding of history and cultural events both created a believable setting and gave context to propel the story forward.

Mickey7 has one of the best first chapters I've read in a while. I was thrust into the plot and ready to go wherever the author decided to take Mickey and his story. It's unsurprising that this book began as a novella. (I would have been equally unsurprised had it been a short story.)

Unfortunately, the middle part of the book lagged for me, due to the odd choice for much of the plot to center on the conflict of food rationing, which read as unappetizing and bland as cycler paste. It felt like a holding pattern for the ultimate denouement that was slightly clever but not as shocking a twist as I was anticipating.

If expanded into a series, I hope the women, particularly Nasha, get more to do than just their jobs and serve as love interests for Mickey. While I recognize the limitations of the first-person narrative, Nasha and Cat both deserved a lot more than what we got by seeing them through Mickey's eyes.

I received a digital advance copy of Mickey7 via NetGalley. Mickey7 is scheduled for release on February 15, 2022.

Mickey7 is an expendable. He is assigned to a mission looking to inhabit a new (and unknown) world. His job as an expendable is simple. Take on dangerous tasks with the full expectation of dying during each of those tasks. His death doesn’t matter, as he will be regenerated when he dies, with all of his memories and personality intact. So far, he has died six times.

The trouble starts when he doesn’t die a seventh time, but his friend thinks he does and reports his death. This triggers the generation of a new Mickey, Mickey8, resulting in a duplicate situation. Duplicates are not tolerated, and has the potential to result in both Mickeys being fed into the recycler. At the same time, unexpected lifeforms are found on the planet. They are not friendly. Mickey7 is on a mission to keep both the Mickeys, and the rest of the human population, alive.

As the story progresses, we stay in Mickey7’s perspective. While struggling to keep the secret of two Mickeys, he begins to question if each iteration of Mickey is truly the same person. Is he existing in two bodies at the same time? They are experiencing their world in slightly different ways, does that make them different people? As a reader, I had the same questions. Unfortunately, we don’t get to know Mickey8 well enough to fully explore this question. Overall, the characters other than Mickey7 remain distant to us, rather than becoming fully developed.

While the premise of this story was interesting, it did not feel complete. There is some resolution to the question of multiple Mickeys, as well as to the relationship between humans and the other lifeforms on the planet, but these felt more like turns that were setting up the true conflict of the story. This made more sense when I read the author’s acknowledgments which said this story started as a novella. While the story had been expanded to the length of a novel, it still felt as if it were the introduction to a larger story.

Overall, Mickey7 was an interesting premise that I would have liked to see more fully explored. There are questions introduced here about personal identity and colonization that could potentially support a series of novels.

DNF at 55%

I wanted to love this book so much. The premise sounded so interesting. Mickey Barnes signs up to be an Expendable, which means that he is thrust into danger situations that a normal human wouldn't survive. If Mickey dies, he is reincarnated, so to speak, and is essentially immortal. We start the story with Mickey7 on a fatal mission that leaves him in a situation that his teammates can't rescue him from safely. He ends up making his way back only to find that his team have already had him reincarnated into Mickey8. There should only ever be one Mickey at a time so this is a problem. They struggle to figure out which one needs to be terminated and decide to work things out with both of them. Mickey7 goes on to continue his life as normal while Mickey8 wallows in self pity and complains about just coming out of the tank.

The pacing for this first half of this book is extremely slow. Up until Mickey8 comes out of the tank, I was invested in Mickey7's journey. Then we start to get flashback timelines to previous Mickey's and before he was an Expendable that really bogged down the story for me. They didn't really add much context or depth to the story. And Mickey8 really irritated me. It felt like the two Mickey's were two different people instead of the same person multiplied like it was supposed to be. I didn't find it very believable that his best friend and girlfriend wouldn't question him more. If Mickey8 is how he acts when he comes out of the tank then why is Mickey7 running around like he never died, and his friends don't comfort him more?

Overall, I just couldn't get past the halfway mark on this story. I may come back to it in the future and check out more books by this author in the future.

After many heady reads, I was glad to pick up this book. Within hours I was a quarter of the way into it, not noticing the time that had passed.

It’s definitely in the vein of Blake Crouch’s Dark Matter, with questionable, futuristic science and bleak humor. It vaguely reminded me of several old school Doctor Who episodes with its plot and some situations, especially colonization gone wrong millions of light years away from the old Earth.

The twist toward the end wasn’t a twist for me, but at that point I really didn’t care about that. I just wanted to see which Mickey (if any) would pull it out in the end.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

In this entertaining, humorous and thought-provoking novel, Edward Ashton combines a moralistic story and science fiction adventure into a gratifying read with a memorable protagonist.

Fleeing from a ruthless gangster he is deeply in debt to, Mickey Barnes signs on to a crew of a beachhead colonization ship as the Expendable member. Expendable, as in he is assigned the most risky tasks and if he turns up dead, no problem: a new Mickey Barnes is just waiting to be cloned, What goes wrong is that the seventh clone of Mickey doesn't die but is presumed dead so the eighth Mickey comes into being. On a planet where food is being rationed until the settlement can take hold, having another mouth to feed is not an option.

When Mickey7 returns from his presumed deadly mission and discovers Mickey8 in his cabin, the only solution is for one of them to be recycled. Therein lies the problem, neither of them is willing to sacrifice himself so the other may live. In a small community it is nearly impossible for the two to coexist and sure enough, the duplicates are soon discovered. What follows is an engaging tale of what the colony faces in a hostile environment and the who is to survive being recycled, Mickey7 or Mickey8.

I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Mickey Barnes. He is an irreverent, funny and insightful person in all of his incarnations. Following his lives and the perils of colonizing a hostile planet where death lurks behind every snowbank, is surprisingly delightful.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance copy of this terrific book. It will be published February 15, 2022.

Cloning has always been a fascinating topic for me, and the concept of Expendables is a new one. The combination of the two made this book irresistable.

No doubt about it – Mickey7 has a crappy job. He knew what he was in for when he took it, but dying doesn’t get any easier. He retains his memories (he uploads periodically), but every death has also been painful and occasionally messy. I immediately liked Mickey. His voice reminds me of Mark Watney in The Martian – snarky, self-depracating, and humorous. He also breaks the fourth wall and speaks to the reader, something I especially loved.

Things aren’t going so well on the colonization mission. Food is in short supply, rations are being cut, and vegetation is dying. They’re also being threatened by local lifeforms, the Creepers. Think centipede-like creatures but a million times bigger. And they tear people to shreds and eat them. Mickey’s existence is threatened even more when Mickey8 is taken from the tank after Mickey7 goes missing and is presumed dead. Multiples are forbidden to exist at the same time. Many of the crew are kind of weirded out by clones, and most of them steer clear of Mickey, anyway. A religious group of Natalists on board consider clones to be soulless abominations, and it doesn’t help that Mickey’s commander is a believer. To say the two of them have a tension-filled relationship is an understatement.

This novel wasn’t exactly what I’d expected. I was prepared for more action and exploration into the Creepers, but the majority of the story focuses on the Mickeys keeping their dual existence a secret – which, of course, is impossible. Especially since he/they have a girlfriend. The story brings the Theseus’ Paradox into play (a thought experiment that raises the question of whether an object that has had all of its components replaced remains fundamentally the same object), something that was really thought-provoking. I also enjoyed the stories about the different colonies throughout history.

I’ve seen comp titles of Dark Matter and The Martian (two outstanding reads), but I can’t say Mickey7 is exactly like either of them. I’d categorize this novel as light sci-fi filled with loads of tension, a little action, a splash of romance, and a healthy serving of humor.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Mickey7 is a special story. It’s not entirely sci-fi, it’s not entirely thriller, but it’s rather a fascinating fusion of philosophical conundrums in a science-fiction setting with a machine-gun pace of a solid thriller.
Mickey Barnes is an expendable; he has signed up to be the cannon fodder in scientific planetary explorations where the human touch is needed. He has died 6 times so far but wakes up in a new clone each time engineered from his body tissue. When an incursion with an alien species goes bad, he is rumored to be dead. He makes it out alive only to realize he has already been cloned. Mickey7, meet Mickey8. Only one can actually survive. Edward Ashton takes readers on an enriching journey with fantastic characters and exciting dilemmas with one big question; what makes you YOU?
Edward Ashton’s prose is beautifully elegant. The narrative digs deep into the feelings of Mickey Barnes and his unshakable circumstances that made him sign up to be an expendable. Even with interstellar travel and far too futuristic elements, Ashton explains every single detail in layman’s terms with vivid and familiar descriptions for every reader to visualize in the highest mental resolution possible. The first-person POV is fun and regal, establishing a strong connection between Mickey Barnes and readers where it naturally feels as if Mickey is talking to us.
I went in without knowing the nitty gritty of what to expect and perhaps this is the best way to dive into this book to be completely surprised by the sheer scale of the poignant storytelling with nuanced messages and parallels that hit you late at night and keep you in a perpetual state of marveling at the brilliance and ingenuity of this exquisite world that Edward Ashton has created and filled with life. No wonder Hollywood has already started the process of bringing this book to the big screen.

Full review posted with blurb image on: https://www.bestthrillerbooks.com/kashif-hussain/mickey7-by-edward-ashton

This book had a lot of high praise and comparisons to some of my favorite recent sci-fi (Moon, Dark Matter). Before I even opened the book, and I finally started it after the news came out of the adaptation being directed by Bong Joon Ho and starring Robert Pattinson. So may expectations were high to say the least.
I would say this story rose to those expectations but did not exceed them. If you enjoyed Blake Crouch's books and some science fiction mixed with speculative futures and dark comedy, then you will probably enjoy this book.
The story switches between the main plot given in the description and chapters either giving the history of Mickey and how he became an expendable and the history of expansion to other planets. Mickey's background in history helps these chapters maintain a sense of character and move beyond dry sci-fi world building. The chapter towards the end of the book detailing why society dislikes Expendables was a particular highlight. Some may have an issue with this format since it makes the main plot slow down and remain slightly underdeveloped.
Mickey7 was an enjoyable protagonist, and Ashton does a great job balancing the internal and external conflicts that Mickey7 must deal with after not following through on dying. As a philosophical thought exercise (the book has numerous references to the Ship of Theseus), the book is a great look at the costs of cloning.
An issue I had was that we spend so much time inside of Mickey7's head that the books spends less time building out the people who surround him. While Mickey7 was very deep as Ashton tried to give a sense of his identity of someone who has died 6 times before, the other crew members on the planet could have had a little more investment to make the latter half of the book hit a little harder. I enjoyed the ending but I imagine it could fall flat for some.
Overall, really fascinating combination of hard science on interplanetary travel and replicating humans with an ethical conundrum.

With a chance to run away from a life that is too tough, the chalkboard can be erased and a new life written. But how does that new life continue when it can be snuffed out again and again? This situation causes Mickey to have an exciting new job, but too many horrific deaths ending lives that were going well. Mickey 7, the science fiction novel by Edward Ashton, is imaginary in its colony building world and the life that someone in that colony would lead. The story has interesting flashbacks and back story. However, Mickey is very happy to complain about the food, the habitat and his lowly job. I couldn’t give the book a higher rating because although I liked the set up, it was depressing for our main character to be miserable all the time. The supporting characters were mostly unhappy as well, and their personalities reflected it. There was a bit of action throughout, but we had to wait for the very end to see most of the resolution of the story. The novel included an alien group, but we were left without much detail or events with them. The ending was good in my opinion, but I would have liked to see pieces of it sprinkled throughout. Mickey 7 was enjoyable as a science fiction adventure, but it could have been a bit shorter and more hopeful. Thank you to NetGalley for an ecopy of this book for an honest review.

The book was absolutely incredible. I saw a creator on TikTok talking about this book and immediately knew I had to request it. It was every bit as good as she said it was. It was fast-paced, fun, interesting and also full of heart. I also thought the world building was fascinating. The author did such a good job giving us enough back story so that we could fully understand this world. I cannot wait for this to be released so I can buy a hard copy.

I think that I liked Mickey7 just fine as an SF novel. The characters were complex, the scenario was more so and some questions were asked that went beyond the "what will happen" stage, like why, do exist, and if there are several versions of the self do they experience and see things the same way? What is our destiny if we die and another version of ourselves takes our place? Is there a final place for us, as we continue to live our lives and then cease to exist, and if so where? These are the questions that we are consistently asking ourselves when reading SF literature and have been since Utopia, and Ashton continues the trend. A fairly fascinating novel with a lot going for it.

5 / 5 ✪

https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2022/02/08/mickey7-by-edward-ashton-review/

When I started Mickey7, I figured it’d be a nice diversion from all the fantasy that came in January, a quick read to start of the hectic month of releases February promises to be. But while I certainly got through it quick, Mickey7 left a lasting impression. In fact, it’s not only the best book I’ve read thus far in 2022, and one of the best science fiction novels I’ve read in some time, it’s also probably the best clone-themed book I’ve read, well, ever.

We follow Mickey’s POV throughout; he’s the one and only lead (told in third person). But which Mickey? That’s the trouble when dealing with clones. Which is the real one? Or are any “real” at all? Well, the book actually addresses this (and more) all while following one (or more!) Mickeys through their adventures within.

When talking about a science fiction thriller that specializes in cloning, the characters are really where you want to start. How are the clones as characters? Do they feel real, do they feel human? Now there’s almost always a sect in any given story that is against the idea of cloning. Usually religious or moral or philosophical. This is no different. The “Natalists” in this view clones as abominations, empty shells pretending to be human, and a mockery of all that God intended. For his part, while Mickey Barnes was never a natalist, by the point he reaches Mickey7, he’s not sure what to believe. And while most of the characters in this are quite strong, it’s Mickey7’s examination of his past and future states that make him so compelling.

Is he real? Well, certainly he can feel and die, so probably. But is HE Mickey Barnes? He can remember Mickey Barnes, along with all of his experiences as Mickeys 2 through 6, but only the parts that he uploaded to the cloning device. Otherwise, watching through his supposed memories from that time might as well be viewing the visions of a madman. An Expendable’s main duty is to die, and by the point that the text starts, Mickey7 has come to fear death. Over the course of the text, Mickey7 will share his current situation with memories of “his” past (via typically alternating chapters). While some of these did feel a bit like info dumps, the only time I was really bothered by this was toward the end, where I felt them sapping from the pace of the story. Otherwise they’re short or relevant enough that I didn’t think they detracted from the plot. In fact most often they added to it, and I actually came to look forward to them—be it either discovering what had happened as Mickey4 or 5 and how they died, or understanding just a little bit more of the lore surrounding the universe. One of my personal favorites is further on, when we discover just what makes duplicates so universally despised.

The supporting cast is also quite good. In a colony of 200ish, Mickey knows pretty much everyone’s names. But he’s not on great terms with them all. Especially given his job as an Expendable and all. Which makes total sense. If some dude dies all the time, you’re probably not going to be thrilled to spend a lot of time around him. But he’s got a girlfriend, a best friend, some acquaintances, and a whole lot of people who hate him. While not all the named faces get fulfilling roles, the named characters that Mickey does get on with (or very much doesn’t) have backstories, motivations, and ambitions all their own. Everyone has a different motive; which works well together in a story all about survival.

The story itself is fairly straightforward. Okay, so… there are two of us. Step 1) Don’t tell anyone. Check. No one knows—probably. 2) Keep anyone from finding out. Also check. One of us will probably die soon; Expendable and all. But with a crew of only a couple hundred and a small colony, there are only so many places to hide. 3) Don’t make it worse. No problem. In these science fiction thriller nobody ever makes any bad decisions. It’ll be fine.

So the story is all about mitigating and dealing with what follows, when things don’t go exactly to plan. Because when has anything ever worked out 100% like you thought it would—in real life, or a fictional dystopian world inhabited by ice monsters? As expected, Mickey7 blends excitement with humor. Very well, actually. It’s often dark humor, which I found paired quite well with the somewhat ominous tone of the story. Niflheim—as you might guess from the name (especially if you’re at least somewhat familiar with Norse mythos)—ain’t exactly a cheery place. So what follows is a tale of disaster mitigation that’s part comedy, mystery, thriller, adventure set on a scifi hellscape with hostile aliens and the constant threat of death—that’s also being deconstructed as part of a clone’s philosophical crisis. With… himself.

If nothing else I’ve said convinces you to try this book, I guess let it be the age-old question: will we get to see a Mickey9?

TL;DR

My average reading rate for a 300-odd book is about a week. It usually takes me time to warm up to the lead, the characters, the story, and really get into the swing of things. I finished Mickey7 in just over a day. That alone should tell you something. If not, maybe the clone questioning his humanity while trying to avoid actually, physically strangling himself trope will do it. Or that it has really very good ratings thus far. Or that it’s a story of damage mitigation set on an frozen world with hostile aliens where the entire environment is out to kill the colonists, but a multiple is the one thing that they can’t stand. Or that—in spite of how all of that sounds—it actually comes off as damn well realistic …should hopefully be enough to get you to give this a try. I loved it. I hope you do, too.

Let me start by saying that Mickey7 (the human expendable) is a hoot! He is witty, funny, cynical, and he doesn’t take life (or death) too seriously. I loved him from the start!

Based on the blurb, I had some expectations going into the book that differed from what I got. That isn’t a bad thing though. My first impression was that this was going to contain a lot of humor and ridiculous antics since the two expendables couldn’t let the colony know there was more than one of them. And nonsense did ensue! But the story ended up being a bit deeper than that.

The story raises ethical and moral issues about immortality, colonization, immorality, and individuality. This sounds like it would be heavy-handed, but it isn’t. All of these “heavy” topics are integrated into an engaging narrative with interesting characters and a thought-provoking situation… and did I mention it is funny? There are several times where I laughed out loud.

Cycler paste?!?!?!?! BLECH!!!!

I thought the pacing was great, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand what is going on, it ended well, and overall it was fun and fascinating!

I don’t read a lot of science fiction, but I’m sure glad I read this one.

Thank you to @NetGalley and @StMartinsPress for providing an eARC for me to review, which I have done honestly and voluntarily.

Mickey7 is an quick, fun read. Galactic exploration with alien world colonization through the eyes of Mickey7. Through the creation of new bodies and cognitive uploading Mickey is an expendable, the one guinea pig used to test all the unknown dangers and work in deadly situations. When he dies a new version is created to continue filling his role as a disposable test subject. However, problems ensue when, unknown to the rest of the colony, he doesn't die during one of his typical explorations. Upon returning to the colony he discovers a new version has been created, a complication compounded by alien contact. The story is well paced, provides intermittent historical background and insights for the world Ashton has created that don't detract from the plot line and exhibits good character development.

This was a highly entertaining read, mostly due to the fact that Mickey7 was an enjoyable character to hang out with, (so much so, that I found myself not really liking Mickey8--which was silly since they're ostensibly the same person.)

This book had an excellent premise, dynamic characters, and strong dialogue. I loved the backstory on Expendables and how the other Mickeys fared. I enjoyed the psychological exploration on what it's like to be one. I also appreciated the historical detail on the Diaspora and how other missions fared on other Goldilocks' planets.

Basically, everything about this book was super solid, save for the core plot, which felt a little under-baked for me personally. While I appreciated the antics of the duplicate Mickeys, I wanted more interaction between those characters and their environment/snow critters. Even the big meeting at the end is not told from a first person POV, but relayed later to others after the fact.

So, while I enjoyed that the book was a fast, well-paced read, I wanted to see all that historical knowledge and character development put in great service of the mission at hand. In other words, I just wanted more flesh on these bones, perhaps a longer, deeper book.

This is a personal, artistic quibble of course. As I said above, I quite enjoyed the book overall--the bones were excellent. Thanks to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Although I don't read very much sci-fi, this book takes on many of sci-fi's typical topics, like space colonization, cloning, extra-terrestrials, etc. in a way that even non-typical sci-fi readers can digest. Early on, we learn that Mickey7 is called that because he is the "Expendable" on this space journey, and is already on his 7th iteration of Mickey after uploading his latest personality and memories before taking on another dangerous assignment. The author explores how such an Expendable team member is treated, the many things that can go wrong, why someone would volunteer for such a role, especially once the big twist is revealed. Since Mickey is a history lover, we learn much of the "world" background through his research on earlier colonization attempts, cloning, and Earth's experiences. This was a quick, sometimes humorous, often sarcastic read, with the feel of Project Hail Mary. I very much thank #Netgalley and #StMartinsPress for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

What an oxymoron, essential and expendable. That is the situation the main character finds himself in in this fast paced Sci-Fi adventure. Mickey7, by Edward Ashton, is truly an inventive and realistic feeling story of what it might be like to live on a hostile alien planet. Very enjoyable. I need more books like this!
Mickey has the undesirable position of being the “Expendable” on an ice planet light years away from any human outpost. His position gives new meaning to the term dirty job. He gets tasks that are the most hazardous but necessary to everyone’s survival. It he dies while performing these tasks, no problem, just clone another Mickey. He is currently iteration 7, until he isn’t.
Where resources are more than scarce, and calorie intake is closely monitored, there can’t be two of him. Yet, by some fluke, or bad luck, there is now a Mickey8. To top it off, this planet has a hostile native species that is intent on killing the colonist. Will the Mickeys be able to keep it secret that there are now two of them? An even bigger question, will the colony even survive?
This is one of the most original Sci-Fi stories I have read in a while and there was some excellent world building to go along with it. I especially appreciated that the author showed us the gritty side of what it would be like to start a colony on a far flung planet. The risks involved, the mistakes and assumptions that are made well in advance that might doom a colony before it even steps foot on a new world. It is obvious the author did his homework and thought through what the consequences might be.
I also like the main character, Mickey7. He was compelling, snarky and even a little whiny at times. However, I felt sorry for him even though I know his situation was all his own doing. I do wish I had gotten a little bit more background on some of the minor characters. This is a minor detail I can easily overlook since the plot was fast paced and made the pages goes by quickly.
This book is not too heavy on the science, so it is a perfect pick for those readers who like more fiction than fact. Great story, with believable characters make this an easy recommendation to loves of Science Fiction, especially Space Opera.
I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

When I originally read the description of this book it sounded pretty intriguing. I tend to like the books I've read that involve clones, and I thought it would be interesting to read about Mickey7 and Mickey8 trying to keep the fact that there are two of them a secret. Going into this, the story pulled me in right away and I was expecting it to stay that way, but as the book progressed the story began to get more and more mundane.

There were so many parts of this story that could have been built out and explored. There is the problem with the alien species they call creepers, there is the problem of cultivating food and sustaining life on the planet, there is the problem of Mickey trying to stay alive through all the dangerous jobs he does, and then the extra Mickey who shouldn't be there. This all boded well for lots of tension and intrigue. Unfortunately the story never really lives up to its potential, because as I said, it goes the route of becoming mundane.

We end up following Mickey around as he tends to duties on the colony, and interacts with a few other people, who, by the way, are never very well developed. The little tension that exists is over worrying when Mickey will be found out, because you know he will be, since there is no well thought out plan for how they will keep anyone from finding out. It's also funny how this is supposed to be two versions of the same guy, but from the moment I met 8, I disliked him. Maybe that's the way it was supposed to be? We are after all seeing things from 7s point of view.

The author chose to focus mainly on the question of whether all these clones were really the same person, or not, and whether the original Mickey even still existed. I liked that, but didn't feel like it dug very deep into finding answers to those questions. And while that definitely something that should have been addressed in the book, I wanted more. Just more of everything that I mentioned above. Overall, I didn't dislike this book, I enjoyed it to an extent which is why I'm giving it 3 stars. I was just a little disappointed in it.

Also, if you read the description that compares this book to The Martian and Dark Matter, I have to warn you that this book is nothing like either of those books, so don't go into it with those kind of expectations. In general, I think those sorts of comparisons end up hurting rather than helping a book, because there are certain expectations that have to be met, otherwise disappointment ensues.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book.

While I thought it was an interesting and very easy read, my distaste for Mickey overwhelmed me. He is so apathetic. You would think that since he is given almost a "second chance" (or 3rd or 4th etc) at his life, he might have a better outlook now. He is no longer a worthless historian; he now contributes to something. But, for some reason, he feels no sense of purpose. He acts, frankly, like a jerk to the people around him and they are still nice to him! I don't know... I think I was just hoping for someone with a little more gusto and character. He just seemed kind of bland. Maybe that's the point

Thank you netgalley for the ARC

MICKEY7 gave me AT THE MOUTAIN OF MADNESS by HP Lovecraft vibes. But, where Mountain is creepy MICKEY7 is funny and far more enjoyable to read.

Written in past tense, first person POV, MICKEY7 presents not only an enjoyable story, but a lot to ponder philosophically: is Mickey a totally new person because he gets replaced all at once? Is he an abomination? Are seven and eight completely different people since they were created at different times, albeit from the same personality? If you knew you could be remade, would you still want to die over and over again? There are also a number of very humorous musings about death and the best way to die.

Overall, the premise is thought provoking. The story is fast paced, even with the blurbs about failed colonies and Mickey’s past deaths. The characters are well developed, and the two versions of Mickey are just different enough to make the reader wonder—are these men clones or twins?

If you like space operas, clones, first contact stories, unsuspecting heroes, and laughing out loud while reading, you will love this book!