Nebula Award Best Novel Winner

The Terminal Experiment

by Robert J. Sawyer

Summary

A biomedical researcher named Peter Hobson detects a measurable signal that seems to leave the body at the moment of death, then uses artificial intelligence to create three simulated copies of his own consciousness. When one of the simulations appears to start killing people, he must reckon with the consequences of his work. Sawyer uses a near future thriller frame to probe the science and morality of the soul, immortality, and machine minds.

Historical Context & Significance

The novel won the Nebula Award for Best Novel and was originally serialized in Analog magazine under the title Hobson's Choice.