Rating: 
Summary: This is science fiction????
Review: The author apparently has written mostly mysteries prior tothis novel,and IMHO hasn't a clue what science fiction is about. I didn't finish the book- perhaps it got more interesting later? It also might be enjoyable for those who aren't looking for hard sci-fi.
Rating: 
Summary: OK murder mystery, great near-future SF
Review: Robert Sawyer may not be the best writer on the block by a long shot,
but you can see him visibly improve as the book progresses. THE TERMINAL EXPERIMENT isn't really a mystery--the murders don't happen until
well into the book--but more of a comprehensive rundown on
the consequences of a new technology. The book's ideas are crystal-clear and fascinating
and the story moves at a good clip. However, the main recommendation I can give this book is that
the near-future extrapolation is the most cogent I have EVER read. This IS what life in 2011 will be like.
Rating: 
Summary: Golden Age SF For the '90s
Review: This is the kind of stuff that got me reading SF in the first place; classic what-if extrapolation. In this case, the Macguffin is a device that can detect "soul waves." Sawyer is remarkably thorough in exploring the consequences of the idea -- every now and then I would think, "Ah! But what about...?" And every time, he'd address the issue within a few pages. More remarkably, he manages to also create characters who actually feel like real people. They have mundane little problems, even as they go about answering fundamental questions of human existence. This book is well deserving of its Nebula
Rating: 
Summary: Avoid it like the plague!
Review: Boringly mundane, with completely bland uninspiring characters, an unexciting plot, and feeble attempts at provoking discussion on Big Themes.
How did it EVER win an award? The shameless plug by Sawyer himself in this review page merely adds insult to injury for all SF fans.
Flush this book down the toilet. Now
Rating:
Summary: A terrible disappointment.
Review: I have a habit of purchasing SF books that won the Nebula or Hugo award, and so far I have been pretty pleased with the selection except when it came to this one. It must be a slow year for awards. This book is poorly written, no characterizations, no plots, no reasons for being. If I had bought the book from a local store that accepts return, it would have been back on their shelf after a couple of chapters
Rating:
Summary: Lame, lacking and disappointing! What a waste of time!
Review: For a philosophical novel this book is lacking, as the philosophy was lame, unoriginal and unconvincing. For a mystery novel this book is lacking, as the result was very predictable and disappointing. For a science fiction novel is it *really* lacking, as in 2011 almost everything is the same as today (except for the technologies the characters themselves create) The author likes throwing in a lot of references, but in 2011 every reference was as if it were today--they even have the same TV shows and stars. This book failed to do anything for me, except laugh with acknowledgement to a few references (most of which were out of place in 2011). How this won any awards is beyond me. Avoid
Rating:
Summary: Hobson's choice ideas make book worth the read
Review: Robert Sawyer has moved to the forefront of Canadian SF writers, largely on the basis of this book and StarPlex, both multi-nominated tales. Neither is up to the quality of the outstanding Far Seer trilogy, but that's hardly damning. What Terminal Experiment offers is a series of ideas wrapped up in Sawyer's second attempt at the SF mystery. The first was Golden Fleece and the 'mystery' quality of this book doesn't quite live up to that early effort, in a discipline that Isaac Asimov called the most difficult in the field. But all that's back story to this book.
Terminal Experiment features Peter Hobson, a scientist with a creationist bent, who invents a measuring device for souls. This puts him at the fork of a series of Hobson's choices that eventually lead to an AI-induced nightmare. His solution is pedestrian. The joy of the book is in the conundrums of existence that are raised. Describe your last meal at a restaurant with a friend or loved one. Did you describe the scene from the vantage point of your seat or did you assume the role of a third-party on-looker? It's a little tidbit, but the kind of item that prompts discussion after the fact. And what better legacy can a book have?
Read Terminal Experiment not for the mystery or even the near-future SF. Read it for the chance to talk about things you never imagined could be part of your life.
Rating:
Summary: Good story, not much of a murder mystery
Review: This is a good story about AI, morality and mortality. If that's what you're looking for, you probably won't be disappointed. You will be disappointed, however, if you're expecting an exciting murder mystery with lots of plot twists and a surprise ending. It's obvious from the outset who "dunnit". Still, it's an enjoyable read with some good bits about chimpanzees
Rating:
Summary: I can't believe I wasted the time it took to read this.
Review: "The Terminal Experiment" is a poorly written morality tale. The so-called future world in which the story takes place is almost exactly like today, except video phones are popular. The science is laughable, the characters are boring and illogical, and there is an almost total absence of the interesting ideas I expect in good science fiction. It's really sad that this book won awards. I pray there's never a movie
Rating:
Summary: I have read better, but read many more that were worse
Review: I read this book in it's serialized form in Analog magazine. I thoroughly enjoyed it and have been hoping for a sequel. In this, the information age, I found it to be entirely plausable and believable. It was written well enough that I have been on the lookout for anything new from the author ever since. Definitly a good read
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