In the near future, technology is developed through which people can get in touch with past lives. The Gaeist religion proclaims that it is okay to pollute, because the ecosystem will compensate. The AIDS plague brought about strict anti-homosexuality laws.

Brain Rose is a tale of a group of people who undergo the surgery that will allow them to remember their past lives. Nancy Kress worked very hard to develop the characters, and the setting. I enjoyed watching the characters react and grow into their new lives, and into each others. But in the end, I was left unsatisfied. Perhaps because I simply needed a few things spelled out for me a bit more clearly. Why was Robbie Brekke sent to the clinic in the first place? Was he indeed the man Shahid thought he was? If the Gaeists were correct, why did Joe get his new job at the end.

While I enjoyed reading Brain Rose, I feel a bit lost reviewing it. Perhaps it was written for someone who thinks more clearly than myself.

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