I picked this up after reading Paul Wilson's blog about having conceived of the shape-shifters in the TV show, Fringe. Basically, a shape shifter is deceived into delivering a virus that wipes out his fellow mimes by a competing corporate state (flagge.) While there is heroism and a decent love story, protaginst Tristan becomes part of the freedom movement for mimes, led by "mother" Okasan. Strongly prefer Wilson's Repairman Jack series. ( )

I suppose it would be eye-rolling to say I'd rate this 3 and three-quarter stars if I could? I guess what I mean about that, is that this is about average for a science fiction book, enjoyable without being something classic or quotable, but distinctive enough to remember years later. This has a lot of the outer trappings of cyberpunk and noir, but though I don't usually like those genres, I rather liked this book because it isn't in the end all that dark or cynical. In an unspecified post-apocalyptic far future, Earth is ruled by competing "gloms"--organizations part government, part organized crime, part corporation. Their most valuable property are "mimes," humans grown in vats, they all carry a gene that allows them to "flux" into various "masques." Masques based on ordinary people for the purposes of espionage or gladiator forms that might have lizard or spider qualities to fight in the arena or specialized short-lived workers on Mars. The elite among mimes are controlled with the tantalizing prospect of "Selfhood," where as a reward for service to the glom they'd be freed to stick to one identity and roam freely. The central figure in the book, Tristan, is a mime who has been told he's one job away from gaining his precious Selfhood. But he finds that job will change how he thinks about himself and his world. This is well-paced, with solid, if not hugely original world-building, an element of romance, and one that appeals to the armchair freedom fighter in me. An entertaining read, decently written and well-paced that will keep it's place on my too-crowded bookshelf. Not the kind of book I'd put on a recommendation list to introduce the best of a genre, but if you're looking for some escapist entertainment in the tradition of Robert Heinlein, you might enjoy this one. ( )