Friday, February 1, 2019

Short Book Reviews: Mathematics Vs. Telepathy


Zero Sum Game, by S. L. Huang (Tor)

To say this novel grabbed me by the throat and refused to let go is putting it mildly. It’s as much a thriller as a science fictional tale. I absolutely adored that the heroine’s superpower is her mathematical ability, and how that ability allows her to use normal human physical attributes in an extraordinary way. 

The plot hits the ground running when Cas Russell takes a job that seems innocuous enough on the surface: rescuing a young woman who’s gotten in trouble with a drug-running gang. The client is the older sister, referred to Cas by the notoriously violent, psychopathic Rio, who uses his devout Catholic faith to guide his conscience. Oddly enough, he considers Cas a friend, although neither of them trusts the other. 

From there, things go pear-shaped in a hurry, since Rio never made the referral and Cas keeps stumbling upon references to a mysterious name, “Pithia.” Before long she’s battling a telepath capable of not only reading minds but changing them in ways that make it impossible for the victim to break free.

Verdict: a hell of a ride, juicy mathematics-geek neepery, twists and turns and ambiguities, with nary a stumble. A bit on the gory side for those sensitive to it.


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