science fiction

Trouble With Lichen - John Wyndham Book Review

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Review Summaries
"Diana Brackley secures a job as a research scientist working for Francis Saxover, a somewhat eccentric private researcher. By accident they discover (independently) that a specimen of lichen sent to them for analysis has the ability to extend human life by many hundred years. They both see the implications of this (that many institutions will try to repress this knowledge) and are careful to keep the substance secret, but Diana decides that it must eventually become available to all humans and sets up an organisation designed to introduce it by stealth. Unfortunately Francis decides to let his immediate family in on the secret, and his daughter-in-law gives away part of the secret for money. As a result criminal forces begin to take interest in both Francis and Diana. They meet in secret and Diana tells Francis that she is now ready to reveal all in a carefully manipulated media campaign, but the criminal element get involved and things go terribly wrong."
Alan Tompkins, Resident John Wyndham Scholar


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Overall Review
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 20%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 40%




Tone of book - sensitive (sigh....)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story
Tech./$$$/Info hunt Yes
Stealing/recovering/destroying - genetic engineering
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character
Identity: - Female
Profession/status: - scientist
Age: - 20's-30's
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status: - scientist
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - throughout most of the book.
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Setting
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
scientific jargon? (SF only) - some scientific explanation
How much dialogue? - significantly more descript than dialog
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