Morgan Adams is a scientific prodigy. Orphaned at birth, he quickly finds his passion in the form of all things technology which takes him from poverty to become the co-founder of the world’s wealthiest company. Tomorrow Morgan is scheduled to unveil a secret project that will allow him to download a human mind into an identical cyborg body and alter the course of humankind. But when he awakens, Morgan is shocked to find himself looking down at his own tortured and broken body. Disoriented and disbelieving, Morgan’s brain has been downloaded into the beta version of his unfinished creation, Doppelganger. To make matters worse, the source code to his Doppelganger has been stolen, his consciousness is degrading, and he has 72 hours to solve his own murder, recover the source code, and unravel a conspiracy that has jeopardized the future of humanity.

The character development of this story is seamless. Each character – human and artificial – stands out. Morgan’s character is brilliance personified and an exploration of what it means to be human. Some stories like to tell the reader that “Morgan is smart,” but Doppelganger shows the reader the inner workings of Morgan’s brain. Morgan Adams battles robots bent on murdering him and others while he simultaneously decodes impossible puzzles. Even as a doppelganger, Morgan is tethered to his humanity – with every memory of his humble beginnings and every time he quotes Lewis Carroll’s “Jabberwocky.” Intelligence with a heartbeat personified. The most standout character is Io. She is a brilliant psychologist who specializes in the emotional state of Artificial Intelligence. Io is down to earth and a certified Baddie – Brains, Beauty, Brauns, and doesn’t mind speaking her mind. Io isn’t the kind of character who just accepts that she’s brought into her situation and will allow herself to be pushed around. She pushes back and challenges even the elite while remaining elite herself. Author Chip Walter never let a character fade into obscurity, not even the A.I. This creates a satisfying reading experience.

Author Chip Walter excelled in worldbuilding. Doppelganger is layered in such clarity that as the reader follows Morgan to the “GRID,” to the “ATOZ,” and even unto the dangerous highway, it’s impossible to not be immersed in the details. There is one scene that integrated animals and technology that is written so well that I knew then that this book would be one of my “go-to/comfort” reads. I won’t spoil the scene, but when you read it, let’s talk about it! 

Highly recommend this story to readers who enjoy movies like “I, Robot,” “Eagle Eye,” “Terminator,” and “Total Recall.”