Paramyotonia congenita what?

 I'm asked on occasion what the heck is the condition that Maurice Sands is afflicted with and is introduced with in Digital Life Form, which is being serialised on this blog.  Is it made up? Is it just there as a convenient plot line?

To take the final question first - virtually everything in a novel is a convenient plot line - anything that doesn't assist with the story, doesn't have a job to do, is just reading practice.  You can get that with the tabloids,  This is fiction - but I guess you can get that with the tabloids, too.

It's a very rare disorder that presents differently in different people but typically the onset of cold triggers it and exercise aggravates it, so flexing cold hands to stimulate blood flow and make them move easier tends to result in hands that seize up.  I have a friend with the condition: her siblings have it too as does some of her cousins.  They all seem to present differently and that, along with the rarity of the condition, seems to affect the timely diagnosis and treatment of the condition.

The cold is an issue - we're talking about the UK version of cold, the one that only sees temperatures below zero Celsius (32 F for those still using the 'other' lay scale) infrequently so it doesn't have to be terribly cold to bring on problems.  The inability to hold car keys, carry shopping bags or drive are amongst some of the limitations.  Don't even bother offering an ice cream when it warms up, either - that can cause the tongue to seize up.  Actually it's quite funny, so perhaps offer the one ice-cream but don't push your luck.

Maurice turned into the character he is very quickly - you just know he is a germaphobic, solitary type of person with his own individual slant on life.  He got dragged into the world of DLFs (Digital Life Forms) working for the international community following the incident in the Mojave Desert described in the prologue, but like public servants everywhere decided to try life on the other side of the fence.  Hell, that was written before the austerity years, let alone whatever the UK Government is going to call it this time around. I guess public servants have been poached for what and who they know for ever.

We're not going to see Maurice again for a while but, like his condition, unfortunately, he's not going away.

You can read the Wikipedia page on Paramyotonia congenita here