When Larry the electrical engineer sees a woman appear then disappear in his lab one night, he is drawn into a mystery that not only threatens his company but the entire world, and he discovers the origin of an entirely new lifeform that combines artificial intelligence with the mind of the scientist that created her.
The Baffling Boffin is a fast-paced novella that marks the science-fiction debut of author Don Doerres, whose illustrious career includes being part of the Mars Spaceflight Research Facility at Arizona State University. But this story is not a dry examination of technical details. The dynamic character of Patricia Boffin quickly eclipses her supporting cast as she discovers the full potential of her powers, the limits of her current understanding of the world, and situations that might destroy her.
In some ways, The Baffling Boffin is a comic-book story about a super-powered hero whose abilities don’t make a whole lot of sense if you think about them too much, but which make for an awesome story anyway. I don’t care how many times you try to explain to me how Superman flies or Spider-man sticks to walls, because I just want a thrilling story in which they do exactly that. Patricia Boffin is a hero in that vein—a fantasy about science, and a damn good one.
With her ability to walk through walls and access computer systems, the Boffin reminds me of Marvel’s Ghost who first appeared in my favorite Iron Man run in the 1980s and was recently revived for film and TV. But she’s a unique and captivating character on her own, and I hope we see more of her adventures.
Collector’s Guide: The Baffling Boffin is now available in ebook and paperback editions.
Mars Will Send No More 
cool, thanks for the recommendation – sounds like something I’d like.
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