lyrrael's review against another edition
5.0
Great slow burner. Ended up going out and buying myself a copy of the hardcover because I enjoyed it so much, but despite having read this at the beginning of August I haven't yet gotten around to reading book 2. I think I got burned on Greg Bear when I decided to read something of his when I was either in middle school or high school, and just wasn't old enough to read it and actually understand it, so I've shied away from him ever since. I did the same thing with the Dragon series of Anne McCaffrey's, and when I finally got around to reading it I devoured the whole series. I think, now that I've come back to him, Greg Bear and I are likely to be good friends.
dakvid's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
pine_wulf's review against another edition
2.0
The first 2/3 was very slow and I almost DNF, but the plot itself seemed interesting enough that I kept thinking it had to get interesting eventually. Well, it did, but not terribly much so. There were a bunch of characters and sub-plots that just didn't have any appeal for me and I don't know what was the point of their existence. The sequel seems like it might be more interesting, but I won't bother with it. It will probably end up like this, where it seems like it must be exciting because look at what's happening! but then will somehow not be.
mjfmjfmjf's review against another edition
4.0
A re-read for the Powell's SF Book Group in Exile. I got to this book a little later than I planned, so had to push the reading speed. And at first that was a challenge. It is definitely hard science fiction. But I've read a bunch of genetics, dna, anthropology and was able to muscle through - so this ended up being a 2 day read - well 36 hours.
Writing near-future hard science fiction that ages well is probably impossible. There's almost no way to get the science right. And for something like this book, in which the science is pretty unlikely.
And yet in the end this book was brilliant and interesting, full of possibilities. And with scary echoes of what it's like to be in a pandemic and with odd government responses.
I remember the sequel as being quite different but also quite good. So re-reading that goes on the list.
Writing near-future hard science fiction that ages well is probably impossible. There's almost no way to get the science right. And for something like this book, in which the science is pretty unlikely.
And yet in the end this book was brilliant and interesting, full of possibilities. And with scary echoes of what it's like to be in a pandemic and with odd government responses.
I remember the sequel as being quite different but also quite good. So re-reading that goes on the list.
kurwaczytaj's review against another edition
4.0
Celkem povedený mix katastrofického románu a červené knihovny xD V závěru knihy se autor dušuje, že se pokoušel, si vymýšlet co nejméně, či spíše, že jeho výmysly nejsou úplně vycucané z prstů ale mají vědecké základy.
Jinak kniha je o tom, co by se mohlo stát, kdyby evoluce pokračovala a jak bychom se vypořádali s našimi nástupci.
Jinak kniha je o tom, co by se mohlo stát, kdyby evoluce pokračovala a jak bychom se vypořádali s našimi nástupci.
webgambit's review against another edition
2.0
The idea behind this book is great. All that "junk" in our DNA turns out to be evolutionary code to help us evolve as needed. Great premise. But the story gets bogged down with more focus on politics than the science. And then a character starts having supernatural dreams just to help tie everything together. And even then I would have given this three stars if not for how weak and unfulfilling the ending was.
howkatiereads's review against another edition
4.0
I liked it. I started it as an audiobook for a long weekend drive up to Eugene and I liked it enough to check out the book and finish reading it once I got back-I thought about finishing it through the cds but that would have taken too long and I HAD to know what would happen. It's really like two books in one. The first part has lots of science and a slower pace, then the book starts to go down an entirely different and unexpected path, raising some interesting ethical issues along the way. The ending was a little disappointing since it wasn't an ending as much as a teaser for the sequel...makes me wonder if he wrote it with a movie franchise in mind.
majkia's review against another edition
4.0
Would we recognize the next evolutionary step if it began? Or would we see it as some sort of threat and strive to stamp it out?
kmccaleb's review against another edition
5.0
Great concept on possible evolution. The scientific explanations can be bit over whelming, but he you can tell he really researched and tries to explain things in very plausible, understandable ways. Really enjoyed reading the book. Great mixture of science, history, romance, politics, and action.
hannah_doc's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.0