The concept is an interesting one:  People use technology that puts their consciousness into robots while their flesh and bone stay safely at home. Everyone is safe...until someone starts attacking and destroying surrogates and a detective is forced to put himself into real danger to stop an opponent who threatens to unravel the fabric of society.

The writing itself is quite good.  Pacing is excellent, the world of the story is fully realized, and the mystery "killer" is believable and interesting.  The problem with the story is that there is no real threat of physical harm, since everyone is safely tucked away in their little homes.  Instead, the threat is to a social system, one removed enough from our own that the story becomes an exercise in "what if," and yet not quite engaging enough for the reader to feel a high level of suspense.

While the character histories are not explored well (the limitations of the format), there are some poignant and thought-provoking scenes; particularly between the main character, Detective Harvey Greer, and his wife.  Scenes like the one to the right are believable and strikingly close to conversations Internet addicts have with their families and friends.  The story does an effective job of exploring the writer's concerns of technology destroying interpersonal relationships.

The emotional dysfunction spawned by the new technology is a jab at people who spend more time interacting through e-mail or social networking sites than they do "in the flesh."By using the surrogate technology as a metaphor for today's online world, the author, Robert Venditti, issues a sharp critique of the dangers of a detached existence.

It is a timely concern as online addiction becomes a more recognized phenomenon.  It is a valid, if somewhat luddite concern that is conveyed without coming across as overly preachy.

Brett Weldele's art style includes gritty linework and muted color.  It is an interesting choice for the story which gives it a noir feel, as if the technology has contributed to the slow degredation of the world around it.  It is a stripped-down style that fits the story theme quite well.

The book is packaged with extras including some very slick "advertisements" for the fictional Surrogate technology that on first glance look entirely believable as professional ad space bought in the book.  These were mimicked in the Surrogate movie print advertising campaign.

Finally, added written supplementary material explores the world of The Surrogates in an interesting manner.

The book is definitely worth a read for the concepts and concerns, as well as for the unique packaging.

[buy now from Amazon US]

[buy now from Amazon Canada]