Recursion by Blake Crouch (Spoiler Free)

Recursion by Blake Crouch

How many times have we as humans wished we could go back and relive or rewrite a moment? Make the choices that could change the trajectory of our life? Save ourselves? Save someone we love? Would you do it if you could? Would you do it if you knew there would be conditions? This is the idea that Blake Crouch explores in his latest novel, in a way that will forever change the way you think about memory

This is another work of hard science fiction from Blake Crouch, following behind his novel Dark Matter. Hard science fiction is a category of science fiction characterized by concern for scientific accuracy and logic. The term was first used in print in 1957 by P. Schuyler Miller. Recursion works within a world where the science that is going on seems to be feasible with the knowledge that we currently have access to. The possibility that what goes on in this book, which it is a work of fiction, seems to be grounded in some science makes this all a more compelling read in my opinion.

Recursion is set in a world where many are suffering from what is known as False Memory Syndrome (FSM) people suddenly one day are flooded with grayed out memories of a life that they never lived, but that at the same time also feels so real that many are lead to question what their real memories are. Barry Sutton is a New York City cop that begins to investigate a death related to FSM, but what he uncovers is something much more than he could have ever anticipated. It is going to take Barry getting the help from neuroscientist Helena Smith to not only get to the bottom of what is going on, but find a way to stop it before irreversible damage can be done.

Favorite Quote:

Slade “ You want to talk about destructive? How about being locked in our little fishbowls, in this joke of an existence imposed on us by the limits of our primate sense?...What you’re defending isn’t reality -- it’s a prison, a lie.”

What I liked:

I loved Marcus Slade. He is by far my favorite character in this book. All of the characters are really well developed, but Marcus Slade feels so keenly real and human that he really came alive for me while I was reading. I also really appreciated the organization and the flow of the book, and I felt that the way it was organized was done deliberately to keep with the theme of timelines moving into the past and then into the future and of the interesting of timelines that we see happen in real life, as well as for the two main characters Barry and Helena.

There were so many good lines in this book and I feel that there was not a line or exchange that was wasted. Everything came back together, everything that was done and said was meaningful and purposeful, and that helped to keep this as an engaging read the entire time, and will keep you flipping back and forth to make the connections in real time. 

What I didn’t like:

I was not a fan of the subdued love story for Helena and Barry. I felt like as a reader I did not get to see enough of the relationship grow to become invested in it, since the growth was done in montaged memory format. However, I did like how the end does give the hint that Helena and Barry are going to get together, because that felt the most real and that was something I was interested in at that point.

Final Rating

I give this book a 4 out of 5. I would highly recommend this book.

It was really well written overall, and it did have quite an impact on how I am going to be living the rest of my life. I could see some re-readability potential as well, I am sure re-reading again after knowing what is going to happen would give a more critical eye and would make a reader more aware of the smaller details that might have been missed the first time through. Additionally the ending was incredibly well thought out and well constructed, it was an ending that made sense with the rules of the world that had already been established. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good read that encourages them to think a little more deeply about themselves and the world they live in.