This was a really good fast-paced sci fi novel. It had humor and heart. There were really frustrating parts, like how carelessly the Mickeys treated their precarious situation, but the relationships, dialogue, and plot were well thought-out and developed. Overall an enjoyable read. Great for fans of Andy Weir and Martha Wells.

If you’ve read the book description, you’ve come close enough to having read the book. You’ve got the setup and the plot conflict. All that’s added is some bland backstory of Mickey Barnes’s earlier lives, a not-very-compelling description of the interactions between Mickeys 7 and 8, and a clever plan by Mickey7 to solve some key problems on Niflheim, including his own.

I was reminded of Murderbot a little when I first read the description of this book, because both lead characters are unlike these they live and work with, and they are expected to do the distasteful and dangerous work of space colonization. But that’s where the likeness ends. Mickey7 has an edge to his character, but doesn’t come close to the appeal of Murderbot’s sarcastic moroseness. Action scenes in this book didn’t raise my heart rate the way Murderbot’s did. This book felt to me like a good idea for a short story, padded out with a lot of material that doesn’t add anything—though it could have, if the writing had been more lively or added more insight into the characters.

Two Mickeys don’t add up to a wholly entertaining book.

Mickey7 follows the seventh iteration of Mickey, a human who has signed his life away as an Expendable, meaning that he does all of the dangerous jobs on his colonization mission on a distant planet, usually ending in his imminent death. He will then re-emerge as the next version of himself to continue to be used by the mission for the “greater good”.

But Mickey7 did not die on a routine planetary scouting mission as expected, and back in the dome they already created Mickey8, resulting in the comedic and horrific issue of two Mickey’s co-existing at the same time, and sharing the same poor rations while trying not to get caught. It is against the law to have two or more copies of a person and both Mickey 7 and 8 will go down the "corpse hole" to be recycled into protein goo to feed the other colonists if the authorities find out.

I liked the book. It was well-written and paced and moved along very nicely. Extentialist nature and religion were brought into the story which made it more series. The question of just how human is an expendable. In the book, the Natalists believe that humans that sign up to be reprinted and upload their consciousness, are soulless monsters. I also really enjoyed reading about the various colonizations throughout history that had failed or succeeded, adding in world building and history into this world. I also thought that the small romance was well-done and woven in well, resulting in being believable.

My only issue with the novel was that it did not have a more resolute ending. I thought the ending too abrupt and the ends tied up too neatly.. It would have been nice to get more of the interaction between Mickey7 and the "prime" creeper. Also, I do not believe the commander would simply give up trying to get vengeance on Mickey7. He does not seem like that kind of guy. The only comfortable resolution would have had the commander being put out of commission permanently by losing his power over the colony in disgrace-- or death. As it is left, Mickey7 will never really be "safe"

As can be inferred from Edward Ashton's title, this novel centers on a person who has been cloned -- several times. A volunteer on a colonizing spaceship headed to an ice planet called Niflheim, Mickey7 is an Expendable. His role is to take the most highly dangerous tasks needed in the new colony, and if he dies, be regenerated with his memories more or less in tact. A recruiter sold him on this job as a means to be immortal --- but experiencing death, in several extremely painful forms, makes Mickey7 a bit jaded about the whole thing.

Mickey7 narrates the story; through his flippant, sarcastic voice we learn of the demise of not only Earth, but also many other colony start-ups in which the entire crew died. So the theme of death and life is omnipresent in the narrative, though the tone is light and somewhat comic. A familiar clone story trope, the simultaneous existence of two versions of an individual, appears early in the novel as Mickey7 and Mickey8 first try to hide their "double" status and later become enmeshed in the existential danger facing their colony. Given the discovery of apparently menacing, sentient life-forms on Niflheim, should the human response be to kill them all since communication seems impossible, thereby committing genocide? What other choices are possible?

The exploration of this crisis is light-hearted, yet the resolution is nevertheless too easy, with closure on the perplexing "duplicate" existence and a rocky love relationship crafted in a rather perplexing manner.

This novel will be enjoyed by readers who relish characters with breezy/saucy attitudes, occasional forays into ethical questions, and who tolerate storylines that don't stick the landing.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun read. Mickey, who is a history not science nerd needs to get off the planet fast. So he gets a posting on a space colonizing mission as an expendable. Yes, his job is to handle dangerous jobs and die. Then they bring him back good as new with memories downloaded. So what happens when Mickey 7 doesn't die but they've already made Mickey 8. Only room for one expendable at a time - this is a problem. Whatever will the Mickeys do?
This is a review of a digital review copy provided by NetGalley.

Cool premise and start, but my interest in <i>Mickey7</i> continuously dropped as I progressed. While this was a super readable soft sci-fi piece, the author chose to focus on multiple storylines at once - Mickey7’s issue of being a double, the mystery of what’s happening on their new colony, and the flashbacks that help tell the story of how Mickey7 got where he is today. Unfortunately, the constant switching back and forth between past and present storylines really slowed the overall piece down. The issue of pacing really came to a head in the final chapter - the quick (and incomplete?) wrap up, contrasted against the really slow and sometimes dull present plot, didn’t really work for me. I think fans of The Martian will be disappointed if holding <i>Mickey7</i> up as a comparison, but might enjoy the concepts explored here.

I voluntarily obtained a digital version of this book free from Netgalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much to net galley and the publisher for sending me a opt of this book. I really enjoyed it and I loved the ending. I do however disagree with it being compared to the Martian. It’s nothing like it be nevertheless a great read!

Mickey is an Expendable. He’s sent along with a colonizing crew to do the dirty jobs. Go check out that cave over there… Might be acid spitting monster. Oops! Reactor is busted… May be some radiation. Be careful! And if he doesn’t make it, eh… we’ll make another. As the title suggests, Mickey is on his 7th version. All the same as the first… personality, looks, and unfortunately, job.

Long range scanners determined the planet Niflheim was ready for terraforming, but on the surface it’s a ball of ice with some interesting inhabitants. Mickey7 goes out on a jaunt around the permafrost and slips down a hole. Assumed to be lost, Mickey8 is created back on the ship. Jack Tripper moments ensue as they (the two Mickeys) try to hide themselves from the rest of the crew and figure out what to do…

The hype is big for this one… so how does it meet expectations?

The premise is obviously key to this book. It all revolves around this equation… (btw. the story of how he became an Expendable is important, so I’m not going to give it away here). And on the whole, the book focuses to the core characters: Mickey 7, Mickey 8, a love interest, and the boss. Ashton pulls the camera back a bit to relay the experiences of other colonies and Expendables, their successes and mistakes. There is a bit of The Martian/ “character vs the void of space”… It’s a thing in scifi and if you’re a frequent reader of the genre, you will know what I am talking about.

The real conclusion that I’m headed toward is that I wanted to story to transition to the bigger picture a bit earlier… I knew it was going to happen, but felt the effect would have been more powerful if the audience could experience it for longer.

A solid new premise gives way to some worldly-contemplation. But some confusion about scope and tone (is it Three’s Company situational comedy or something a bit more serious?).

3.5 out of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for an advanced copy for review.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this science fiction novel.

Science fiction has, at its best always attempted to take on the big issues. Amongst the aliens, space ships, technology and flying cars, themes about what makes us human, what is humanity, what makes a life have always been present. Mickey7 by Edward Ashton continues this tradition with questions about if you die, but can be brought back what does that make you. Immortal? Inessential? A useful tool or a superfluous element.

Mickey Barnes is an "expendable", an employee in a colony at the edge of their universe who gets the most dangerous, and dirty jobs without fear of the consequences. If the worst happens, a fast death, slow death, really any death, Mickey will be recreated from proteins, and his memories downloaded to his new body, and life for him will go on. An immortal worker drone and clone, who has died 6 times previously, hence the designation Mickey7. Mickey7 except for his childhood friend and girlfriend, lives a lonely existence, viewed as an oddity by some, or an abomination by others. Until the day he is left to die, but doesn't, and Mickey7's life gets a little less lonely and a lot more complicated.

The story is really well written, with a lot going on in such a small book. LIfe on the colony is well developed, as is the ideas that make up this universe. The idea of the expendables makes sense, and there are a lot of ramifications that could be covered in later books, Mr. Ashton describes a few, and there are quite a few books to be made about this. There was a lot of planning for this book and it shows. Plus the characters are all different, and well written. Mickey is both sympathetic and annoying, and a character I would like to read more about.

An excellent story that leaves a lot of threads to be followed up on. The universe is different, and well worth exploring, so I hope there will be more adventures. The ideas are clever and keep the story moving. Fans of the Murderbot series, or Becky Chambers or even the Expanse will definitely enjoy this book. This is the first book that I have read by Mr. Ashton, but not the last, and hopefully there will be more to feature these characters again.

Sci-Fi isn't my normal category, but I flew through Mickey7 in 2 days, so that should tell you something. I really liked the bits of philosophy (especially the Ship of Theseus) and instant messaging format that was interspersed amongst the chapters.

(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.)

While this is an often amusing space opera, it is a slow and meandering read. Just enough hard science to make it interesting and enough personal "drama" to keep it moving (slowly). The idea is a workable concept. That a person would do almost anything just to go into space even to the point of volunteering to be and "expendable" is a bit nuts. He agrees to upload his brain functions so that when he is killed in the line of duty, his brain can be downloaded into a recyclable clone and he can continue to exist just as he was before. The only tricky part is the original is supposed to be dead before the clone can be activated. Micky7 is on an expedition where he falls into a crevasse and they believe him dead. Mickey 8 has been activated but Mickey 7 didn't die but he is the only one that knows this. The two must coordinate how they share the same room, meals and work schedules without anyone knowing there are two of them.

I enjoyed this work of science fiction and will recommend it to patrons. It was a quick, fairly humerous read. But there were also parts that made you think about moral issues. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

In MICKEY7, by Edward Ashton, Mickey7 is presumed dead and Mickey8 has been created in his place on the colony base on the ice planet Niflheim. Mickey is an Expendable, who is used is situations where human life is too risky. If he perishes, a copy of Mickey can be created and his memories, if they have been properly uploaded, can by installed in the new copy. So when Mickey7 shows up back at the base to find out that Mickey8 has already been created, Mickey7 has to figure out how to live when he is supposed to be dead. Mickey7 leans on what he knows to help him live and uses his accidental survival to help the dying colony from wasting away.
What a wonderful mind scramble this book is. Having two people with the same body and artificially replicated soul live and breathe together is incredibly fascinating. It's a treat whenever they converse with one another and the reader is confronted with the interpreting what is the same and what is different about them. The people closest to the them are interesting too, with each one having their own agenda and the own take on Mickey7/8's life as an Expendable.
Ashton does a nice job weaving in the story around Mickey7's constant struggle to survive and not get caught. There is some really interesting back stories on Expendables and mixed successes in past colonizations that all feed into what happens at the end of the book. Ashton, by reviewing previous failures, also delves into social commentary on what is right and wrong with human rights and how humans should treat other living beings.
Fast-moving and exciting, MICKEY7 is a sci-fi adventure with a lot of heart and I look forward to reading more books by Edward Ashton in the future.

Mickey7 by Edward Ashton

Pros: great premise, interesting characters

Cons:

Mickey Barnes is the expendable for the Niflheim beachhead colony, which means if there’s a dangerous job, he’s the one doing it. So it’s not surprising that when his seventh iteration falls into a deep hole he’s left for dead. Unfortunately when he makes it back to base a new copy of himself is sleeping in his bed. Multiples are the biggest taboo, so the Mickeys must hide what they are even as trouble is brewing with the planet’s indigenous lifeforms.

This book was a lot of fun to read. It’s quick paced and engaging, with Mickey7 including important incidents from his past while narrating the events of the present.

I went from thinking of Mickey7 as a decent guy, then kind of a jerk, then back to being a decent guy. Some of his history paints him in a bad light though it seems dying multiple times has improved his character somewhat. I really liked Nasha and thought their relationship was great.

The book poses some interesting ethical questions without delving too deeply into them or dwelling on them for long. It’s mostly a lighthearted read.

The world-building was great. There was a lot more explanation about the larger universe than I expected, with Mickey explaining things about life on his homeworld, Midgard, and some of the other colonies (successful & failed).

The ending ties together all the various narratives Mickey throws at you. I especially loved how his study of history gave him insight into how to think of the native species.

If you like easygoing, sometimes humorous, sometimes serious SF, give this a go.

I saw a reference to “The Martian” in the blurb, but the actual blurb reminded me a bit of the plot from the movie “Moon”. Both are excellent, so that’s a good starting point.

Mickey7 is the seventh iteration of Mickey Barnes, the only person to ever volunteer to be an Expendable. They’re humans who can be ordered to do things that would otherwise be considered suicidal, because their body can be reconstructed, and their mind downloaded to the last save point. Why use humans instead of machines? We’re very hardy and can continue working for a time even if we’ve been irradiated to the point we’re going to die horribly. Plus Expendables are the first ones exposed to a new environment so scientists can figure out what’s going to kill humans so they can work on cures and treatments before risking everyone else.

Mickey7 is written off as dead at the start of the book (and needs better friends), but manages to make his way back to base. He hopes he’s made it before he’s reported dead and Mickey8 is created in a vat, but he’s too late. There’s a religious group that already views Expendables as not human (as in they don’t have a soul), but there’s an outright taboo against having multiple versions of the same person running around. Yet neither version of Mickey is ready to willingly die, even though some view them as essentially immortal. Dying still hurts, and you will either remember it, or be shown the video of it if possible.

Mickey has a love of history, but not enough talent to get on a colony ship except as an Expendable. As he delves into the history of other colonies that have succeeded and failed, we get bits of the reasons behind certain events, such as the rule against multiples and why Mickey was willing to volunteer. We also get glimpses into the previous iterations Mickey has experienced, and how they died.

There’s an ongoing theme asking whether or not the various Mickeys are “real” or at least the same as the original. Like the Ship of Theseus, all of his original parts have been replaced. He has the memories of the original Mickey, as well as memories recorded from other iterations, but does that make him Mickey, or someone else? Which begs the question of whether the original gave consent to be experimented on, while the others have no choice.

I could easily see other books set in the same universe, with the many mentions of other colonies and that the don’t currently know what happened to Earth. Did it manage to recover, or are the colonies the only home for humans?

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I had the worst book hangover after reading this. It's one of those books I wish I could forget, just so I can read it again for the first time. In fact, I may go read it again now, just because. Excellent.

Mickey is an Expendable, the person designated to do the dangerous work for a planet colonizing crew. Mickey is on his 7th iteration, basically he's died seven times. While out on a mission, Mickey 7 is presumed killed so the 8th Mickey is produced. But, oops, there can't be more than one Mickey at a time. What to do? If the powers that be find out, both Mickeys could be killed.

First off, thank you NetGalley for the ARC copy for an honest review. Second, this book was actually quite enjoyable. It's a bit space opera, a bit The Martian. The characters were authentic and at times annoying. The setting was well written and visually clear. I definitely don't have a desire to colonize any planet after reading this. Ha! There were some tedious parts, the reason the the 4 stars. A bit draggy in certain areas, but overall very good science fiction.

The Martian is one of my favorite books, so when I saw it mentioned in the blurb, I couldn't wait to read this. I loved the Martian-like tone and pacing of this book, as well as the world the author built. It struck a good balance between science and story-telling, making it a quick and accessible read.

When I read the description of Mickey7, which is describes as The Martian meets Dark Matter (two books that I thoroughly enjoyed), I instantly knew this was a book and I wanted to read. And I was not disappointed. What a fun book. What Edward Ashton has done with Mickey7 is to create one heck of an adventure. Mickey7 is an Expendable, aka a disposable human who is part of a mission sent to colonize a new world. Expendables do the jobs that are too dangerous for other because … well as the name implies, they are expendable, meaning if they die a new body is grown and their memories are downloaded into, basically making them immortal. But immortality isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. As you might have guessed from the name Mickey7, Mickey has already suffered six deaths. After going missing while on another mission, Mickey7 is presumed dead and when he returns he discovers a new Mickey (Mickey8) has already been created to replace him, but there being multiples of any Expendable is frowned upon, thus they must keep it a secret because of course neither Mickey is too thrilled with the idea of having to die. This was a wildly imaginative story and I loved Mickey7’s sarcastic personality. This is definitely a book I will read again in the future. And speaking of the future, I look forward to seeing what Edward Ashton comes out with next.
I’d like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the chance to read and review the eARC of Mickey7.

In a far-flung future, space missions like to include one person whose job is to be the expendable, assigned the most dangerous jobs and then re-created if they die. In this adventure, Mickey desperately takes on the job of expendable in order to escape his life threatening debts at home, and as the story opens he is on his 7th incarnation, memories mostly intact. As the narrator of the events, Mickey's attitude is both irreverent, entertaining, and engaging, and his descriptions of his fellow shipmates razor sharp. Unfortunately there can be only one incarnation of him at a time, but his best friend's mistake causes another Mickey (#8) to be made, and so the subterfuge begins. Meanwhile, the inhabitants of the planet the crew is researching seem very dangerous, but Mickey has a different opinion and must risk his #7 life again. The action is compelling and the characterization and future vision are thought-provoking.