Review of “Cyberia,” by Chris Lynch
“Cyberia,” by Chris Lynch is a science fiction adventure about a boy living in the not-to-distant future, in a time when everything is connected electronically, even humans and animals.
Both of Zane’s parents are popular personalities. His mother is a famous news anchor often seen on TV, while his father is the famous voice behind the national radioweb. Zane rarely sees his parents, even though they all spend their time in the same house. Each of them lives in a separate room, connected by electronics and video screens.
Zane’s parents check in periodically over the video screens to tell him that they love him, but Zane isn’t satisfied. He doesn’t like all the gadgets in his room. They constantly interrupt his thoughts with beeps and messages. Zane even has a special anklet with a sensor wire that measures his body signals and tells him when he is hungry, tired, or stressed. In fact, it even predicts when he will next need to use the restroom!
Zane likes real life, and there is nothing more real than his pet dog Hugo. But even Hugo has a special chip installed in him so that the veterinarian can keep track of his health and so that Zane can call Hugo back if he runs off.
When Zane’s dad gives him a brand new electronic device it has an unintended result. Zane suddenly finds that Hugo can use his embedded chip to talk to Zane’s device and communicate with Zane. Suddenly Zane can talk to his dog, and Hugo can talk back!
Zane is shocked at first, but he soon gets used to this new ability. What he doesn’t get used to is what Hugo is telling him. Hugo tells Zane that the family vet, Dr. Gristle, has evil plans for pets and innocent animals worldwide. According to Hugo, Dr. Gristle’s embedded animal chips not only keep track of a pet’s health, but they are also intended to tweak animal’s minds and use them as robots. Hugo is afraid that Dr. Gristle aims to use robotic animals as weapons in a plan to take over the world!
At first Zane isn’t sure what he should do, but the more he learns about Dr. Gristle, the more he becomes convinced that he needs to find some way to thwart his evil plans and save animals worldwide. But to do that Zane will have to find a way through his wired electronic world and outside, where the pure, untamed nature awaits.
“Cyberia” is a thrilling book from start to finish. The technology depicted by Chris Lynch feels legitimate, and Zane’s response to it is also very genuine. I feel that “Cyberia” has important messages about the negative effects of a wired world. The question that Chris Lynch forces us to ask ourselves is: “When do we reach a point where technology is more dangerous than it is helpful?”
In “Cyberia” Zane will learn the answer to this question first hand. “Cyberia” is the first book in a series, and it ends in a cliff hanger that will make readers eager for a second installment. I feel that this new science fiction series has a great future, and I look forward to seeing how it develops.
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