Lock In by John Scalzi

It’s been 25 years since the world was rocked by the “Haden’s Syndrome” pandemic. About 1% of those infected became permanently “locked in,” completely paralyzed but fully aware. This new "Haden" demographic spurred a technological boom, and many now walk around with their consciousness embedded in robotic “threeps” (think C-3PO). Chris Shane, the only child of a famous and obscenely wealthy family, grew up as a poster child for Hadens. Now an adult, unwilling to sit back and leech off the family fortune, Chris joins the FBI and is partnered with the secretive and acerbic Van. Chris's very first week on the job involves investigating a string of murders, corporate espionage, body hijacking, Haden civil rights riots, and a scheme that could change the lives of all Hadens forever.

This is a delightful mix of sci-fi and mystery, as Chris navigates a world where people can disguise themselves in robotic bodies or those of human “integrators.” It’s a fun story with great worldbuilding, enjoyable characters, and plenty of action, but it also has a special, subtle gimmick: Chris’s gender is never stated or even implied. You can read the whole book without actually noticing, but it definitely adds a unique layer to the story. To facilitate the illusion, two different audiobooks were recorded, one with a male narrator (Wil Wheaton), and one female (Amber Benson). This is a definite must-read for fans of Ready Player One and other near-future sci-fi.