The novel follows the story of a group of scientists who are working on a project to create a perfect clone of a human being. The scientists are able to successfully create a clone, but the clone is not quite perfect. It has a few flaws, and the scientists must figure out how to fix them. The clone, named "Dead Ringer," is a perfect physical copy of the original person, but it lacks the original person's memories and personality. The scientists must find a way to transfer the original person's memories and personality into the clone, so that it can be a perfect copy. The scientists soon discover that the only way to do this is to transfer the original person's brain into the clone's body. This leads to a moral dilemma, as the scientists must decide whether or not to go through with the procedure, knowing that it will kill the original person. The novel follows the scientists as they grapple with this moral dilemma, and as they try to find a way to make the clone perfect. Along the way, they must also deal with the consequences of their actions, as the clone begins to develop its own personality and memories.
By Lester Del Rey · First published 1956 · Genre: Science Fiction, Adventure, Fantasy