Darwin's Radio - Greg Bear Book Review

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Review Summaries
"Mitch, a young American archaeologist in disrepute, discovers in the Alps the frozen and mummified corpses of a Neanderthal family that died under mysterious circumstances. Kaye, a microbiologist trying to cut a deal between her US company and scientists in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia who grow antibiotic resistant bacteria, is called away to examine a mass grave where pregnant women have evidently been shot. Christopher Dicken of the Centers for Disease Control has been monitoring similar incidents around the world for several years and runs into Kaye there. These three lives intersect as an apparent retrovirus seems to be killing fetuses by the thousands all over the world; common people riot, and governments prepare for martial law and the segregation not only of reputedly infected men and women, but separation of men FROM women because the virus seems to be transmitted sexually. But then the women who have aborted spontaneously become pregnant AGAIN without sexual contact, and Mitch, Kaye, and Christopher begin to suspect something very different from a mere epidemic is happening. Bear masterfully mixes considerable biological science and theory, and a little archaeology, with a cast of almost hundreds, into a gripping tale that is still not too difficult to follow." David Loftus, Resident Greg Bear Scholar
"The book concentrates on evolution. It explains how evolution might have happened relatively quickly. It shows how different parts of the society react to the evolution that is occuring. " irina, Resident Greg Bear Scholar
"A retrovirus starts the next step of human evolution. This book covers all of the scientific and social, and political uproar that this would cause. very scientific, this book taught me more about science than high-school did. A great book" Repo Man, Resident Greg Bear 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 - 46.7%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 23.3%

Tone of book - very upbeat
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story
Explore/1st contact/ enviro story Yes
Plotlets: - preventing an ecological disaster - fighting a disease/illness affecting everyone
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Age: - 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
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: - none

Setting
Earth setting: - 20th century - near future (later in 21st century) - current (early 21st century)
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
Sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - impregnation/reproduction - actual description of sex
How much dialogue? - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog

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The Ocean Of Years - Chronicles of Solace 2 by Roger MacBride Allen

Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).

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