John Scalzi's "The Sagan Diary": Cyborg soldier falls in love, & decides to become an ordinary human

While my first Scalzi, this story is apparently part of a larger collection of short stories & novels by Scalzi set in the same "universe".

While nominally science fiction, this is of the softer kind of science fiction. No ghosts etc, but no science either. But great prose, & far too many quotable quotes. I didn't get bored at all, but there is nothing worth remembering either.

Full text of this story is available for download.

Story summary.

This is a frame story. Main story is narrated in a "diary" - a collection of computer files produced by "BrainPal" dump of the brain of Lt Jane Sagan of Colonial Defense Forces (CDF)! She was created (rather than born, as we all are), & was immediately as competent as an adult human - much like a robot. Narration is at her age 9 years - already a veteran of many wars on different worlds & an efficient killer.

She has fallen in love with Major John Perry, also of CDF, & wants to retire from military. Military rules require a dump of her consciousness before retirement. Because she wants to lead an ordinary life, her brain dump will be transferred to another soldier body!

Frame is in the form of a complaint from one department of military about another to a high official - with the diary attached as a case in point.

Diary offers glimpses of the life of Jane, her violant nature, empathy (but not remorse) she feels for her victims, her discovery of "born" kinds of humans & how she is different, her love affair, etc.

Fact sheet.

"The Sagan Diary", short story, review
First published: "Subterranean" magazine, Fall 2007.
Rating: B