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The Speed of Dark
by Elizabeth Moon
Ballantine Books, 01/2003
ISBN:0345447557
In the near future, disease will be a condition of the past. Most
genetic defects will be removed at birth; the remaining during
infancy. Unfortunately, there will be a generation left behind.
For members of that missed generation, small advances will be
made. Through various programs, they will be taught to get
along in the world despite their differences. They will be made
active and contributing members of society. But they will never
be normal.
Lou Arrendale is a member of that lost generation, born at the wrong time to reap the
awards of medical science. Part of a small group of high-functioning autistic adults, he
has a steady job with a pharmaceutical company, a car, friends, and a passion for
fencing. Aside from his annual visits to his counselor, he lives a low-key, independent
life. He has learned to shake hands and make eye contact. He has taught himself to use
“please” and “thank you” and other conventions of conversation because he knows it
makes others comfortable. He does his best to be as normal as possible and not to
draw attention to himself.
But then his quiet life comes under attack. It starts with an experimental treatment that
will reverse the effects of autism in adults. With this treatment Lou would think and act
and be just like everyone else. But if he was suddenly free of autism, would he still be
himself? Would he still love the same classical music–with its complications and
resolutions? Would he still see the same colors and patterns in the world–shades and
hues that others cannot see? Most importantly, would he still love Marjory, a woman
who may never be able to reciprocate his feelings? Would it be easier for her to return
the love of a “normal”?
There are intense pressures coming from the world around him–including an angry
supervisor who wants to cut costs by sacrificing the supports necessary to employ
autistic workers. Perhaps even more disturbing are the barrage of questions within
himself. For Lou must decide if he should submit to a surgery that might completely
change the way he views the world . . . and the very essence of who he is.
Thoughtful, provocative, poignant, unforgettable, The Speed of Dark is a gripping
exploration into the mind of an autistic person as he struggles with profound questions
of humanity and matters of the heart. “The Speed of Dark gives a stunning,
insightful and openhearted look at the world through the eyes of a man with
autism. After reading this book, you will think deeply on the question: What
does ‘normal’ mean? Elizabeth Moon has written an outstanding testament to
the unique gift every one of us has to share, exactly as we are, while also
cheering us on to be all that we can be. Kudos to Ms. Moon for helping us to
see with new clarity not only the mystery of autism, but also the wonder of
it.”
–BARRY NEIL KAUFMAN
Author of Son-Rise and Happiness Is A Choice
Director of The Option Institute and
the Autism Treatment Center of America™
“[A] fine novel . . . I marvel at Elizabeth Moon’s achievement. With no shadow
of sentimentality or easy romanticism, she shows us the core of autism . . .
making us experience the anxiety and tension continually accompanying its
autistic hero as he struggles to make sense of the world we so readily call
normal.”
–CLARA PARK
Author of Exiting Nirvana: A Daughter’s Life with Autism
“Absolutely compelling . . . A fine novel! Elizabeth Moon takes us to a part of
the human neighborhood that is at once enchanting and heartbreaking.”
–GREG BEAR
Author of Darwin’s Radio
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