Sci-Fi Mind

Matt Richtel’s newest book, The Devil’s Plaything, isn’t easy to pinpoint by genre alone; it’s as much a thriller as it is science fiction, and while those categories aren’t mutually exclusive, rarely is the third ingredient, deep human drama, mixed in with the two.

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“I’m close to my grandparents, and I’m fascinated by that relationship and the idea of dementia,” says Richtel. “I’m also fascinated by the impact of heavy technology on the behavior in our brains. We’re losing our memories at the same time that computer memory is exploding.”

These components combine with Richtel’s history as a technology and science journalist at the New York Times to weave a plot line following a medical journalist and his grandmother as they try to unravel a conspiracy involving her brain and her memory. As with any good thriller, the facts aren’t as trivial as they first appear. As the story progresses, the conspiracy widens and the relationship between the unlikely pair deepens.

Matt Richtel will be at the Tattered Cover, 2526 East Colfax Avenue, tonight at 7:30 p.m. for a short presentation and an extended question-and-answer session. For more information, visit www.tatteredcover.com or call 303-322-7727.
Mon., June 13, 7:30 p.m., 2011