NISSUS

In Sorenson’s debut YA SF novel, a teen fears her father is being held captive in a tech-heavy city.

Agnes Barker is perfectly happy living in Petram in a distant-future North America. Her Traditionalist community is independent of the Bionics—people who use nanobots for genetic modifications, such as growing horns on their heads. Agnes especially despises the Bionics, who she’s convinced have abducted her government scientist father, Willym. It’s true that someone, for unknown reasons, has moved him and his research colleagues to a lab in the Greenland city of Nissus. Agnes and her mother head north to check on Willym and discover a metropolis teeming with nanite-loaded people called the Factus, which is what the Bionics (a derogatory term) call themselves. Nissus is practically a utopia, a multi-leveled city with plenty of elbow room and reputedly free of crime. But as Agnes soon learns, nanobots are a huge part of the overall package, as they manipulate the environment and the climate and sometimes even alter people’s feelings or desires. Unlike her mother, Agnes is reluctant to trust anyone in Nissus, even the citizens who seemingly accommodate the Barkers. Meanwhile, Willym and his two colleagues have something cooking—a “mission” that may not jibe with the Factus’ agenda. Once Agnes reunites with her father, she’ll surely be in a position to lend a hand. But is there a chance that Nissus and the Factus aren’t as sinister as Agnes has been led to believe?

Sorenson’s measured story touches on myriad topical concerns, particularly as Agnes learns more about Nissus. The Greenland city is culturally diverse, quite unlike Petram, where most residents are “of European descent.” Much of the exposition involving the futuristic metropolis and nanites comes via prolonged scenes of the teen protagonist’s friendly arguments with locals. These debates spotlight opposing sides of various issues; Nissus strives to treat its people equally but this mandate makes the city, in some ways, akin to a communist state. Likewise, Agnes sees nanites as unnatural and dangerously unpredictable, but there are apparent benefits (they seem to help sufferers of certain mental illnesses). The author evocatively describes Nissus’ scenery—beautiful even when it’s virtual (“Playing the bird sounds is easy, and for the lake scent, all you need to do is figure out what molecules to fabricate, then release them. We need to have sophisticated air handling anyway, to keep the city smelling fresh and clean. Now, getting the breezes right, that’s the tricky part”)—and develops an appealing lead character. She begins the story as a headstrong 17-year-old, but she’s not so stubborn as to reject every opposing viewpoint; her willingness to tweak or outright change her beliefs is what truly drives this story. While the final act somewhat undermines Agnes as a hero, it befits the narrative and culminates in a rewarding ending.

A likably astute protagonist anchors this slow but steady SF tale.