Hearts of Gold

What is reality? And does it finally matter? These are the questions first novelist Weaver pursues in this tale set in 2048. After a third world war and an era of moral prohibition, America's liberalization is typified by sexy vidstar Mercedes Night. Without her knowing it, though, Mercedes has been cloned and the attractive replicascomplete with the actress's memoriesare being sold as sex slaves. In a close parallel, inventor Lance Corbin has created the first true artificial intelligence, using his own mind as the model. The original Mercedes, in the meantime, is having a secret affair with Warren Keyes, the leading liberal candidate for President, who also is not what he seems. Evoking comparison to The Manchurian Candidate, Weaver runs through his checklist of reality substitutes: acting, paranoia, drugs, philosophy, holograms that bite and psychoengineering, a high-tech form of brainwashing. This clever but schematic novel is plagued by stereotypical characters, who are less interesting than the various computers and clones. (December 22)