Evolution is no longer just a theory - and nature is more of a bitch goddess than a kindly mother - in this tense science thriller from the author of the Nebula Award-winning Darwin's Radio
Stella Nova is one of the 'virus children', a generation of genetically enhanced babies born a dozen years before to mothers infected with the SHEVA virus.
In fact, the children represent the next great evolutionary leap and a new species of human, Homo sapiens novus, but this is officially denied. They're gentle, charming and persuasive, possessed of remarkable traits. Nevertheless, they are locked up in special schools, quarantined from society, feared and reviled.
'Survival of the fittest' takes on a new dimension as the children reach puberty. Stella is one of the first to find herself attracted to another 'virus child', but the authorities are watching and waiting for the opportunity to strike the next blow in their escalating war to preserve 'humankind' at any cost.
Industry Reviews
'A gripping evolutionary thriller that combines cutting-edge science with a compelling storyline. It's a novel that stretches the envelope of known science -- which is exactly what science fiction should do' P.D. Smith Guardian'Bear's ability to tell a good story is surpassed only by his enthusasiam for the advancing edge of molecular biology ... he might just be anticipating the next giant leap in our understanding of evolution and ourselves' Nature'GREG BEAR develops his characters extremely well, and there is plenty of action, too, in Darwin's Children ... Bear is very good at blending hard science, politics and fiction, and this is one of his strongest novels yet. Convincing, and at times depressing, it tackles the difficult question of whether a government gripped by prejudice and fear can be prevented from wiping out its perceived enemies' New Scientist'Darwin's Radio delves into crucial questions about where we humans came from and where we're going. Along the way, the book shows how much and how little we've changed from our ancestors... Bear tells a good, character-driven story.' USA Today'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.' Amazon.comBear plays to his strength -- cutting-edge scientific speculation -- in this riveting SF thriller about possible evolutionary apocalypse. As three scientists discover a catastrophic threat within humanity's genes, Bear, a master of hard SF, explores the nature of evolution and, through well-developed characters, the nature of the species that would control it.' Publisher's Weekly'Darwin's Radio is a tense technothriller in the Michael Crichton vein... evolutionary change, we secretly believe, isn't something that happens to us... The world collapses in panic. Gurus of scientific orthodoxy, paralysed by over-fast change, turn a blind eye to the shocking evidence. There are riots, flights to the hills, death cults, martial law, and superstitious fear... Intelligent science fiction on a colossal scale.' New Scientist'Bear's ability to tell a good story is surpassed only by his enthusasiam for the advancing edge of molecular biology ... he might just be anticipating the next giant leap in our understanding of evolution and ourselves.' Nature
