Constance - Matthew Fitzsimmons - A Short Summary and Review

 Constance - Matthew Fitzsimmons - A Short Summary and Review

By: a.d. elliott | Take the Back Roads - Art and Other Odd Adventures

A Rite of Fancy Book Recommendation and Review

The mysterious murder of a musician, for science.

A short summary:

Constance by Matthew FitzSimmons is a speculative thriller that begins with the mysterious murder of a brilliant musician and quickly spirals into unsettling questions about science, identity, and consent. When experimental technology makes it possible to “restore” a person using preserved genetic material and memories, Constance’s death becomes only the beginning of the story.

As the implications of cloning and medical resurrection unfold, the novel moves beyond a simple whodunit into deeper ethical territory. What defines a person? Where does accountability lie when science outruns morality? Each revelation pulls the reader further into a world where innovation offers second chances,  at an extraordinary cost.

My favorite quote from the book:

"If you don't know the game, what makes you think you're one of the players? 

Doesn't that make you one of the pieces?"

- Matthew Fitzsimmons, Constance

Questions to ponder while reading:

How do you define murder?

How do you define immortality?

My review:

Constance is a strange, mind-bending tale that lingers more for its ideas than its plot twists. FitzSimmons leans hard into the moral discomfort of medical advancement, forcing readers to confront questions many sci-fi stories glide past.

The ethical implications surrounding cloning, bodily autonomy, and personhood are genuinely disturbing. I found myself repeatedly pushing back against the premise, not because it was poorly executed, but because the moral lines felt deliberately crossed. For me, the conclusion was clear: cloning doesn’t erase culpability. I still call it murder.

This is not a comforting read, but it is a thought-provoking one. If you enjoy speculative fiction that challenges your ethical boundaries rather than soothing them, Constance delivers.

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About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life

She shares her journeys at Take the Back Roads, explores new reads at Rite of Fancy, and highlights U.S. military biographies at Everyday Patriot.

You can also browse her online photography gallery at shop.takethebackroads.com.

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