I read this entire novel while traveling from Baghdad, Iraq to Atlanta, Georgia on my two weeks rest and relaxation so kindly afforded to me by the government as a reward for serving in a combat zone.
Kiln People is a fun read, with plenty of plot twists around the central idea that society has discovered a way to make a cheap replaceable you. People can have cheap copies of themselves made for various purposes. These copies only last one day, but multiple copies can be made per day if you have the resources.
The central character in Kiln People is detective Albert Morris, who has been hired by multiple groups with multiple agendas to solve the same central mystery. The mystery revolves around changes to the people copying industry. Without giving away anymore of the plot, if you can imagine a world where someone has reduced the soul to a science, and figured out how to copy it into a clay vessel, then you will probably enjoy some of the resulting imagined social changes as described by author Brin.
Some of the scenarios envisioned are very interesting. Casual sex without any consequences that we face today, such as disease. Dying over and over again being of no consequence because the original you survives. Most interesting is the plethora of changes to social mores as most people spend most of their time in throwaway bodies and the new social groups that result in support and opposition of cloning and cheap throwaway selves.
The book got almost unbearable towards the end as the central character is changed. Without throwing in massive spoilers, suffice it to say that I thought Mr. Brin spent way too much time trying to explain quantum mechanics and the Soul Standing Wave ruined my suspension of disbelief somewhat. Overall though, I enjoyed Kiln People’s action, mystery and massively complex plot sequences that all inexorably drew together into a grand finale that was odd but enjoyable. I’d pick up another Brin novel in a heartbeat.