Testament

Even more welcome than an engaging, well-written science fiction novel is a depiction of matriarchy that neither resorts to stereotype or to a happy happy, head-in-the-clouds, we're-better-than-they-are misandrony. Though not as good as her first novel [ Becoming Human, to which Testament is an unofficial "sequel" ], Freireich has a skill for plot that makes all of her stories a real joy to read.

Ms. Freireich has accomplished what science fiction was meant to do.... Provide a framework for a dramatic thought experiment on how changing ourselves will impact our progeny. If we are no longer "normal," are we still human? To narrate this tale she has given us a throwback, a person who shares our single perspective without the benefit to a thousand years of memories. Gray is a person we can all empathize with. Finally, she uses the science as a framework to present her tale about people, developing her characters fully, unlike many contemporary writers whose tales are an endless parade of technological dazzle that is unbelievable under close scrutiny. READ IT!