"The Speed of Dark" - Elizabeth Moon

I found this book as I was looking through the sci-fi section at the bookstore for something new to read, and the title caught my eye.

This is the story of Lou Arrendale, a man with autism living at some point in the future in which an experimental cure for autism has been developed, in the form of risky brain surgery. Within the broader context of a look at this man's life, perceptions, challenges, and relationships, the book explores the conflicts surrounding the "cure" on many levels -- within the autism community, between the NT (neurotypical) and autism communities, and the inner conflict that this man and his friends face.

If you've seen the movie "X-men 3," the conflict is reminiscent of what those characters faced -- the conflict between those who are "typical" and those who are "different" and how some of the "different" people feel blessed to be so and have no desire to change, while others feel ostracized and want nothing more than to be just like everyone else. As for the "typical" folks, some of them feel justified in forcing their "cure" on others, while others respect the right of individuals to choose for themselves.

One of the questions addressed in the book is that of what makes a person who they are? In the autism community the issue of whether "curing" someone of autism (if it were possible, which it is not) would fundamentally change who they are and whether a "cure" should be a goal or not is hotly debated. In the story, early intervention efforts have proven quite successful and so the brain surgery "cure" is really something addressed only at those adults who were born too late to benefit from the early treatments made available to their younger counterparts.

As a mother of three sons with autism, this story touched me on a very personal level. The author is also the mother of an autistic child (teenager) and her knowledge of autism comes through in the book, giving it a genuine feel. I found myself alternately thinking, "wow, that sounds like something one of my sons would say!" and wondering sadly whether my sons would have to face these same kinds of challenges and difficulties as adults. I don't always like stories written in first-person, but I love that this book is written that way, as it gives us great insight to see how Lou thinks and the way he perceives his world.

I won't give away whether Lou chose to have the surgery or what the outcome of his decision was, but I will say that the way it is written, the author simply presents the outcome, without inferring a judgment on whether Lou's decision was "right" or "wrong." Truly, the "right" decision is a very individual thing anyway, and probably not the same for everyone, like many of the decisions we all face in life. It's been a while since I've read this, but Lou's story is one that I won't soon forget -- definitely worth the read.