Blindsight by Peter Watts Review

 Blindsight is a first contact science fiction horror story written by Peter Watts in 2006. In the near future, the Earth is attacked by extraterrestrial probes. Months later, scientists discover the source of the signal in the Solar System's Kuiper Belt. Siri, a man with half of a brain is part of a 5-person crew on the ship Theseus, sent to find out more about the ship sending the signal. The crew not only make first contact but discover something chilling that questions their very existence. 

 Humans in 2080 have changed due to advancements in technology. Humans augment their children with enhancements. Those who don't are bullied. Scientists found another species of prehistoric humans who were more predatory and vampire-like. They bring back these creatures using genetic manipulation. Scientists have discovered that because they live long and can resurrect after a long sleep, vampires are perfect for long travels in space. Doctors splice the vampire’s genes into human astronauts so that they can manage long travels in space. The problem is that vampires are predators who want to drink human blood and society views them as being sociopaths. They do not have a good relationship with humans. Was introducing a predator with human intelligence but without human empathy a clever idea? Then there are the humans who want to avoid the challenges of life by uploading their brains into a virtual reality program called Heaven. They are fully sentient but now have no bodies. With all the augmentations and lack of challenges in a post scarcity world where you can live in a fake heaven, are humans still human?

This is the world where our protagonist, Siri, lives in. Because he was born with a deadly condition that gave him seizures, he had half of his brain surgically removed.  His family and friends noticed that his personality changed since his augmentation and Siri doubted his own humanity. He felt more like a machine. His father is loyal and logical, immersed in his work. His mother, taking care of a child who cannot show affection and workaholic husband, isolates herself until she uploads her mind in the virtual world of Heaven.  

Siri is a synthesist, an information gatherer and analyzer. He joined the crew on the spaceship Theseus to journey to meet the aliens that probed Earth. His role on the ship is to observe and gather information to send back to Earth. We meet his crew: the captain that is AI, military specialist Amanda Bates, biologist and doctor Isaac Szpindel, linguist Susan James who has multiple personalities, and the vampire crew leader Jukka Surasti. They awake after being asleep for a few years and instead of being in the Kuiper Belt, they are in the Oort Cloud outside of the Solar System orbiting a Brown Dwarf Star. There, they meet up with the alien ship, Rorshach and discover the chilling reason why the alien ship probed Earth. 

This is a book that presents unique ideas in a cerebral way that still connected with me personally and emotionally. Watts' prose is clinical and deliberate. He tells the story from the point of view of the main character who believes himself to be a methodical, emotionless being. As the main character reflects on the traumatic events that he experienced, we see hints that he might be more human than he thinks. Watts discusses scientific concepts and philosophical questions in depth and does not shy away from using jargon. This book requires the reader to become more engaged. It moves slowly, building up tension and becoming more like an action/horror story towards the end. The characters each have a purpose, and each play a part in the main character, Siri's journey in discovery the truth about consciousness and humanity. The settings were dark, cold, and isolated. The ship Rorschach was ominous and mysterious, so different from human understanding. 

At first, it was difficult to understand what story Siri was trying to tell the reader. The story felt disjointed at times and the parts on the Theseus felt dull rather than dark at first. However, in those chapters were moments that resonated with me on an emotional level. There was a chapter where Siri described himself thinking like a machine, taking commands in a cold, calculating way that was interesting. What would it be like to think like a computer? Siri gets interrupted by his father. He is not thinking like a computer anymore. Siri and his father are very logical, but are there signs of concern there? Is Siri the logical computer he thinks he is? He reflects on his relationship with his mother and his father.  

Is the very logical Siri capable of bias? Could he be telling the story incorrectly? We gather information about Rorschach and slowly learn about their nature along with Siri. We observe the rest of the crew of Theseus along with Siri. Are they telling Siri everything? Do they trust him? What made Siri human? These questions kept me engaged until the end Watts answered every question brought up at the beginning. 

The ideas and themes of the book are thoughtful and deep.  Consciousness and the value of it was the primary theme explored through the observation of the different characters, humanoid, artificial, and extraterrestrial. Watts, through Siri, discusses different theories for the future of mankind. A positive one or a negative one. Will we reach the stars and have galactic empires? Will we progress into gods? Will we end our own race with technology? Are we alone in the dark galaxy and our disappearance won't even make a whisper in the vastness of the universe? Are humans destroying humans? In the future will we augment ourselves or upload ourselves into a computer? Are we even human if we spend an eternity in a computer program? We play god with genetics and bring back our biggest predators, the vampires, now with a way to overcome chemically their weakness of the cross. AI is becoming too powerful as humans depend on their synthetic overlords. Are we progressing ourselves into nothingness?

 Though I loved this book, there were negatives. The book could be confusing when it came to describing the setting. There were times when I had to reread a few pages to try to figure out where the characters were in the ship and where they were exploring. Some of the science was complicated to the point I had to ask my brother, who has a PhD in biochemistry, to explain some of what was discussed. I knew enough about astronomy and linguistics to follow along with other parts, and it was interesting to see how the author explains how a manned spaceship could survive a trip on the edges of our solar system. The vampires were dated as it reminded me too much of the vampire trend of the early 21st century. A predatory carnivorous humanoid species on its own is interesting. I wish they did not have typical vampire weaknesses and strengths. As I read, I understood why it was important to have a vampire character, but I wish that you could not get it under control using right angles, like in the shape of a cross. The weaknesses do not ruin the story and are not distracting and the other makes a detailed scientific case for vampirism. 

Blindsight is an amazing book that resolves perfectly. This is a book to read more than once it becomes clear how all the parts of the story come together. The story alternates between stories from Siri's past and of the crew's experiences just beyond the solar system. What we first believe about the characters ends up being wrong and their motivations begin to be clearer. If you are patient and make it through to the end, you will see consciousness and humanity in a unique way. The ideas in the book will linger in your mind for days.  S for Superior!

Why does hard science fiction, which concerns itself with scientific accuracy in stories, affect me more emotionally than even a romance novel? I will cry tears over a book that is considered to be a cold science fiction story but be bored over a hot romantic story.