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Darwin's Radio
 
 
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Darwin's Radio (Paperback)

by Greg Bear (Author) "The flat afternoon sky spread over the black and gray mountains like a stage backdrop, the color of a dog's pale crazy eye ..." (more)
3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (219 customer reviews)

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Product Description

From Amazon.com

All the best thrillers contain the solution to a mystery, and the mystery in this intellectually sparkling scientific thriller is more crucial and stranger than most. Why are people turning against their neighbors and their newborn children? And what is causing an epidemic of still births? A disgraced paleontologist and a genetic engineer both come across evidence of cover-ups in which the government is clearly up to no good. But no one knows what's really going on, and the government is covering up because that is what, in thrillers as in life, governments do. And what has any of this to do with the discovery of a Neanderthal family whose mummified faces show signs of a strange peeling?

Greg Bear has spent much of his recent career evoking awe in the deep reaches of space, but he made his name with Blood Music, a novel of nanotechnology that crackled with intelligence. His new book is a workout for the mind and a stunning read; human malignancy has its role in his thriller plot, but its real villain, as well as its last best hope, is the endless ingenious cruelty of the natural world and evolution. --Roz Kaveney, Amazon.co.uk --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.



From Publishers Weekly

Is evolution a gradual process, as Darwin believed, or can change occur suddenly, in an incredibly brief time span, as has been suggested by Stephen J. Gould and others? Bear (Dinosaur Summer and Foundation and Chaos) takes on one of the hottest topics in science today in this riveting, near-future thriller. Discredited anthropologist Mitch Rafelson has made an astonishing discovery in a recently uncovered ice cave in the AlpsAthe mummified remains of a Neanderthal couple and their newborn, strangely abnormal child. Kaye Lang, a molecular biologist specializing in retroviruses, has unearthed chilling evidence that so-called junk DNA may have a previously unguessed-at purpose in the scheme of life. Christopher Dicken, a virus hunter at the National Center for Infectious Diseases in Atlanta, is hot in pursuit of a mysterious illness, dubbed Herod's flu, which seems to strike only expectant mothers and their fetuses. Gradually, as the three scientists pool their results, it becomes clear that Homo sapiens is about to face its greatest crisis, a challenge that has slept within our genes since before the dawn of humankind. Bear is one of the modern masters of hard SF, and this story marks a return to the kind of cutting-edge speculation that made his Blood Music one of the genre's all-time classics. Centered on well-developed, highly believable figures who are working scientists and full-fledged human beings, this fine novel is sure to please anyone who appreciates literate, state-of-the-art SF. (Sept.) FYI: Bear has won two Hugos and four Nebulas.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews

219 Reviews
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4 star:
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3 star:
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2 star:
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Average Customer Review
3.5 out of 5 stars (219 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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3.0 out of 5 stars An evolutionary threat or a bold leap forward?, Jul 17 2004
This review is from: Darwin's Radio (Mass Market Paperback)
Greg Bear's Darwin's Radio was an intriguing look at humanity's grappling with a virus which apparently causes women to have an abortion, but a month after this abortion takes place, the women find they're pregnant again, often without even having had sex. In response to this, riots break out all over the world as people fear these strange occurences and a possible end to modern society as we know it. In the midst of all this is Dr. Kaye Lang, a molecular biologist who has some interesting theories on this supposed virus and its real purpose, and Mitch Rafelson, a palentologist who's discovered the remains of a man, woman and baby from thousands of years ago who may have been experiencing a similar evolutionary process.

The book does a very good job of giving the main characters proper attention. Each character is well defined and their complexities are explored. But, I have to say that the book may have went a little too far in this pursuit. I often found that I wanted more discussion of the attempts at studying and dealing with the virus, but instead much of the book focused on the personal lives of Kaye and Mitch. Although I must admit that the developments between them weren't completely immaterial, the description of the book on the back cover is rather misleading. I would hardly say that Kaye Lang and Christopher Dicken race to solve an evolutionary puzzle.

Despite the fact that the novel headed in a rather different direction than I had anticipated, it was fairly entertaining. The premise was really rather interesting and I liked the questions which were raised by the unfolding events. This novel really had much to do with human nature and questions concerning our own origins. Plus, I hadn't ever read a science fiction novel dealing with evolution so it was a nice change. Overall, I would say read this book if you're really interested. It may not be exactly what you expect, but that doesn't mean you won't like it.

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2.0 out of 5 stars Poor story line, Jun 8 2004
By A Customer
This review is from: Darwin's Radio (Mass Market Paperback)
I'm going to keep this review short. Just wanted to give a rating so that system is fair, meaning the ratings are not filled with all 5 star people telling you to buy it.

The book meanders through needless details that do not contribute anything to the story. Main characters husband commits suicide, big deal. They find neanderthals with speciation, big deal.

Read Eon by Bear, it is much better and more imaginative.

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3.0 out of 5 stars Great, great idea but a little bad in the execution, Jun 5 2004
By Inchoatus.com "Inchoatus.com" (Greeley, CO United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Darwin's Radio (Mass Market Paperback)
Why you should read this:

If you like virus thrillers like Preston's The Hot Zone or Crichton's The Andromeda Strain then you will really like this book. It's a very quick read and a very intriguing one for educated readers who have at least a passing understanding in human evolution. An excellent choice for any holiday.

READ MORE AT INCHOATUS.COM

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 		 Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent hard-core scifi!
Having loved scifi when young, I've become jaded over the years with the gendre. I guess it's because I love science, and so much of scifi strays pretty far from science and into... Read more
Published on May 29 2004 by Dennis S.

4.0 out of 5 stars "Hello, Mitch"
Hard science, not hard science - the point is it's fiction, and it's entertaining.
I think the book will be perceived as better when taken in conjunction with the sequel. Read more
Published on May 17 2004 by ostawookiee

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't know much biology, but I do know I love (this book)
I used to try to convince myself that I was smart enough to read Greg Bear's books AND completely understand them. I was, of course, 16, so I knew everything. Read more
Published on April 23 2004 by Kelly Donaldson

3.0 out of 5 stars Clever Title. Story a little uneven
This was my first Greg Bear book, and I had some mixed feelings about it.

First of all the premise of the book was excellent! I appreciated the fact that Mr. Read more

Published on April 13 2004 by Richard King

4.0 out of 5 stars Great!
Not a scientist myself, I can't comment on whether what is discussed in this book is plausible scientifically. But as a fan of intelligent SF, this one is worth reading. Read more
Published on April 6 2004 by Jamaica Layne

1.0 out of 5 stars Laughably ridiculous "science"
I must say, I was absolutely relishing reading this one because it sounded great. But be warned, if you know anything about retroviruses/retrotransposons, you will be sorely... Read more
Published on Mar 27 2004

5.0 out of 5 stars The Sheva Virus: disease or evolutionary event?
When an apparent virus begins hitting pregnant women and destroying their unborn fetuses, panic ensues. Read more
Published on Mar 22 2004

3.0 out of 5 stars Stellar! Well, almost.
It's an enjoyable read, but the science is definitely rubbery. Only humans have these evolutionary retroviruses? Read more
Published on Mar 6 2004 by drcarstairs

4.0 out of 5 stars A Fantastic New Look at Human Evolution
Mitch Rafelson is an anthropologist with a bad name. He's been accused of raiding burial sites by Native Americans and now he's in the Alps and finds three Neanderthals in an ice... Read more
Published on Jan 6 2004 by B. Merritt

5.0 out of 5 stars A tribute to John Wyndham
This is a good read, full of accurate scientific detail. Not for the Buck Rogers / Space Ranger fans. Read more
Published on Dec 24 2003 by Thomas Atkins

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