Help me identify this sci-fi book I read
February 11, 2007 4:39 PM Subscribe
BookFilter: When I was a kid (~14 years ago), I read a sci-fi book about the future. I don't know if I'd like it today, but I'd like to go back to it...
The book was about a future where people are implanted with an identifying chip at birth (in their wrist.)
Other plot details: When you committed a crime, you were entered into a lottery for the death penalty. One of the characters was a man who was entered into a drawing for jaywalking and "won". The plot, predictably, involves him moving through this whole system, fighting it, collaborating with others, etc.
There was also a kid who had some kind of psychic power to disable these identifying chips in peoples' wrists.
I read the book in Russian, but I'm pretty sure that it was translated from English.
The book was about a future where people are implanted with an identifying chip at birth (in their wrist.)
Other plot details: When you committed a crime, you were entered into a lottery for the death penalty. One of the characters was a man who was entered into a drawing for jaywalking and "won". The plot, predictably, involves him moving through this whole system, fighting it, collaborating with others, etc.
There was also a kid who had some kind of psychic power to disable these identifying chips in peoples' wrists.
I read the book in Russian, but I'm pretty sure that it was translated from English.
To me this sounds like Larry Niven, perhaps The Jigsaw Man.
posted by redfoxtail at 6:07 PM on February 11, 2007
posted by redfoxtail at 6:07 PM on February 11, 2007
It has some Nivenlike things about it but I don't think it's Niven.
posted by hattifattener at 6:29 PM on February 11, 2007
posted by hattifattener at 6:29 PM on February 11, 2007
Also sounds like Sheckley, it is NOT Victim Prime, but he wrote a few stories kind of in the same vein.
Didn't Piers Anthony have something like this too? It's been about 20 years since I read anything by him, but rings a faint bell.
posted by edgeways at 8:01 PM on February 11, 2007
Didn't Piers Anthony have something like this too? It's been about 20 years since I read anything by him, but rings a faint bell.
posted by edgeways at 8:01 PM on February 11, 2007
I think the Piers Anthony book edgeways is thinking about is The Ring, which I also thought of, but it is not really the same as what the poster is describing. Which, sorry, does not ring a bell.
posted by nanojath at 9:14 PM on February 11, 2007
posted by nanojath at 9:14 PM on February 11, 2007
Sounds a little bit like Logan's Run.
posted by now i'm piste at 7:04 AM on February 12, 2007
posted by now i'm piste at 7:04 AM on February 12, 2007
Response by poster: niles: I've started looking through the PKD bibliography, but haven't finished yet.
sdn: It wasn't a children's book, but it's hard for me to say if it was YA or not. I read a lot of "adult" books as a kid.
redfoxtail: I'm pretty sure it's not the Jigsaw Man; I don't recall there being any organ transplants.
now i'm piste: It's definitely not Logan's Run.
Thanks to everyone for the suggestions so far.
posted by qvtqht at 10:32 AM on February 12, 2007
sdn: It wasn't a children's book, but it's hard for me to say if it was YA or not. I read a lot of "adult" books as a kid.
redfoxtail: I'm pretty sure it's not the Jigsaw Man; I don't recall there being any organ transplants.
now i'm piste: It's definitely not Logan's Run.
Thanks to everyone for the suggestions so far.
posted by qvtqht at 10:32 AM on February 12, 2007
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by niles at 4:46 PM on February 11, 2007