The Speed of Dark: A Novel

Speed of Dark explores the mind of an autistic man. Lou has pretty strong autism, yet through training he is well adapted to society. He has a job where he works in a group of other autists at pattern recognition tasks. His group has special benefits (such as their own gym). The company receives tax breaks for employing them, and they produce high value work for the company. However, their boss's new boss doesn't like that. He wants them to be normal, and the company has purchased treatment for it.

Lou also like to go to fencing practice. He has become quite good at fencing. He also has a crush on a girl their (Marjorie). The feeling is fairly mutual, but they never do go out. His friend Don at fencing gets mad at him after Lou does well at his first fencing tournament. Don sabotages Lou's car multiple times and later tries to abduct Lou at gunpoint. The police are already watching him and arrest Don. We learn that the punishment he will receive is a chip implanted in the brain that will prevent him from doing bad.

The big boss that tried to force everyone to become normal is fired, but the treatment goes on. Lou initially decides against it, but then decides that change and heeling is good. He gets treated and then goes in to space.

The life inside a well-adapted autistic man's head is quite intriguing. He analyzes many details of social encounters. Things do not come easy or naturally to him. Yet he is able to analyze details and come to even better solutions. (He realizes differences between "fake" and "real" smiles as he analyzes faces.) 

Things do seem to work themselves out in the story. (The bad uber-boss gets fired. The stalker gets in jail. Even the autism treatment works.)

It felt like a cop-out to see him get the treatment and have it succeed. He is no longer the same person after being treated. He no longer likes the same girl. What else was different? The book just jumps ahead a few years. Does the "normal" him have any of the strengths the old him did? 

What is normal? He often compares himself to "normal" people, but realizes that normal people have their faults also. The encounters with the police officer see language about "others" being non-cops rather than non-normal people. Is normality just a function of grouping? Why do the autistic people end up being supported by an organization with other people with mental impairments. The line between "normal" and "not normal" is artificial. Yet our perception is influenced by where the line is drawn.