Customer Reviews

Antibodies (The X-Files)

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Kevin J. Anderson is the author of the book that I read called "Antibodies." This book is about a diseased-ravaged body found in a federally funded lab called Dy Mar genetic research lab. Dr. David Kennessy is a cancer researcher at Dy Mar, and was experimenting on a dangerous microscopic bio-machine that could cure any disease, but the real reason for experimenting is to save his leukemia-stricken son. Agent Fox Mulder and agent Dana Scully from the F.B.I were brought to the case. Scully fights to save the life of an innocent boy while Mulder fights a diseased-stricken man with a slightest touch brings agonizing death. Anderson did a great job of describing the details of the book so you could easily follow what was going on. Anderson's book was great from the second chapter on, when the building was burnt down with the person with the virus still inside the building. Kevin J. Anderson shows a lot of characterization when Mulder and Scully were introduced in the third chapter. Anderson also injected Mulder's sarcasm into the dialogue more than the TV series. In the TV series Scully's fight with cancer is used as a motivating factor in the novel. Overall I think that this novel had an interesting plot, a wonderful storyline, and was well written. Even if you're not a fan of The X-Files like me, it still makes for an interesting read.

BY:Najibullah Motahedy Per:4 Cass

I can't even remember where I acquired this ABRIDGED auidobook but I just re-discovered it hidden way down in the bowels of the storage compartment in my vehicle while I was searching for a missing glove (which is, alas, still missing). It rates about a four for me for keeping me entertained while on my long drive to work. My drifty mind wandered only a few times.

The story reminds me very much of something Dean Koontz could've cooked up (I love the way the Koontz writes even when he gets over-the-top silly and meanders off into pages and pages of mind numbing description). This book is fast paced (this author apparently doesn't share Koontz's proclivity for longwindyness) and tells a story of a boy and his dog infected with a cancer, gun-shot wound, burnt to a crisp curing, form of nano-technology. Don't ask. My pea brain can't comprehend it. Anyway, one of the scientists who worked on this technology is also infected with these nano-critters. But he went and infected himself with the bad kind (duh!) and instead of fixing whatever ails him they make him break out with big tumorous lesions and whomever he touches dies of plague-like symptoms. Why? Ya got me. Plague-man is desperately searching for the boy and his dog because he believes their blood will cure him (boy, dog and their mom are hiding). Along the way he touches a few people and grossness occurs. Scully, Mulder and The Smoking Man make a few appearances but this story doesn't bring them to life in any exceptional way and it lacked Mulder's morbid sense of humor (the book would've rated much higher if these characters came alive a bit more). Overall it was interesting, a little icky and very sad at times reminding me of a classic X-Files episode without the Mulderisms.

This is what I expect when I want to read about the X-Files.

Mulder and Scully were their usual dry yet witty selves but never lost track of their investigation or what their overall goals were. Mulder had his usual minor paranoia and over active imagination, Scully had her logical and medical approach to everything that happened and together they mixed very well.

The story was entertaining, not too long and the supporting characters were well written. The disease they were fighting was interesting and the backstory was one we had heard before. A group of people researching a cure to cancer finds something that could be used for great good or great evil and we're all in danger if it gets unleashed upon the world.

It's worth your time and money to pick this one up if you're a fan of the X-Files.

When DyMar Laboratories is destroyed by protestors, no one gives it much thought. But when the security guard at the wreck site dies from a sudden infestation of tumors it becomes an X-File.

Antibodies trots out a familiar sci-fi standard, the infected victim. In this case the man is infected with nanorobots that can kill a human in minutes, and completely dismantle the world in hours. That is if they get the chance to mutate. Apparently only an assassinated scientist's pet dog holds the key to a cure. Kevin J. Anderson's third (and looking to be final) X-File novel recycles concepts used in Dean Koontz's novel Midnight as well as Greg Bear's classic Blood Music (of which Anderson injects a sly reference to). End result? An entertaing weekend diversion that won't strain your brain. Recommended.

I have read most of Mr. Anderson's X-files work. He does and excellent job of capturing the mood and spirit of the television series, while also providing a promising and thrilling story. Hats off to him, may he continue to bring us fine additions in the fields of science fiction, Bravo!

"Antibodies" is the best so far of a decent series of X-Files novelizations, the last three authored by Kevin J. Anderson. "Ground Zero" is a very close second, which was also penned by Anderson.

What is so enthralling about "Antibodies" is that elements from the television series are woven into this story in a manner that that flows naturally with the narrative. Scully's combat with cancer in the TV series is used as a motivating factor in the novel, but her internal conflicts over her potential for motherhood is subtly worked in as well. Anderson does a little better also at injecting Mulder's sarcasm into the dialogue. His quips are more natural than they have been in other novels, which in my opinion came off as being forced.

And the book even has a brief, but significant appearance, of another important character from the television series.

In all, I sensed Anderson's comfort with the characters, and I do hope there are other novelizations in the works. It would be a shame for the series to switch authors again now that Anderson has shown his expertise at crafting an X-File story with characters that ring true to the series in a manner that they don't come off as two-dimentional or even cartoonish.

How about it Anderson? Let's crank out a few more!

Nothing new here, as Mulder and Scully investigate a strange case (but then again, isn't that always the way on The X-Files?) involving nanotechnology and a possible cure for cancer. While an entertaining read, and certainly a plausible story, it read too much like an episode of "The Outer Limits" - a scientist tests his nanotechnology on himself, and the nanites get out of control, "improving" him until it's too late, then being transferred to his wife and unborn child. There is another book out there that read very similar to this one, and was done in a much more effective way - Dean Koontz' "Watchers". Still, as far as the novel standing alone goes, it was an entertaining read and a worthwhile purchase to add it to my collection

Let me start this off by making something clear: I am the world's biggest X-phile. You can imagine my excitement two and a half years ago when a hardcover novel was released for the X-files, titled "Ground Zero." I picked it up, I read it and I hated it. The same holds true with "Ruins." I could not believe Chris Carter would allow an author like Kevin J. Anderson to try to bring his wonderful characters to life in print. "Antibodies" was no exception. I had to add the book to my collection, but I knew I wouldn't like it. Fortunatley, I found a forum such as this one to spread the word about this travesty in print.The plot was poor, the characterization was way off-base and Anderson's concept of suspense and story is just way...for lack of a better term...hokey. The one positive thing about this book, however, is that Anderson did not have Mulder constantly wisecracking as he had him do in "Ruins." I was also glad that Anderson did not have Scully conveinently out of the picture when the big neat-o (In Anderson's feeble mind) "Paranormal Event of the Book" (which happens due to his poor formulaic writing) occurs. I can only hope that "Skin," due out this month by another author, is better than this book. Come on, Chris, put out some printed product that meets your high on-camera standards. And let's all hope that Kevin Anderson loses the use of his hands so he can't write any more.

In Antibodies, Mulder and Scully are investigating a strange death at a burnt out cancer research facility. A man who it was thought had died in the fire is actually alive because he injected himself with nanomachines which were created in the lab. But the version he injected himself with is unstable and has made him infectious to anyone he touches. The man is searching for a young boy and the boy's dog who has the stable version of the cure in his bloodstream.

Antibodies is an ok X Files story. As with Ground Zero, the characters of Mulder and Scully are not represented very well. The plot hinges on nanotechnology which has been used as a plot device everywhere from Star Trek the Next Generation to Mystery Science Theater 3000. I generally find Anderson to be a good writer but Antibodies is forced at places. There are too many metaphors and similes used throughout and besides the sheer number of them, some of them are truly awful. I got some enjoyment out of Antibodies but it's not the most original or well written book.

Wow! I really like science fiction shows and if you like them too then I would greatly recommend this book. Antibodies is a sci-fi book filled with action, adventure, and excitement. This book is one of the best books I have ever read.

Once you start reading you can't stop. Yes, it is that good. Mulder and Scully are on the case again. Recently the Dymar lab for cancer research has burned down to the ground by animal rights group that seems to not have existed. When the rubble was cleared, all but one of the researchers' bodies was found. What were they really researching in Dymar? Is the government trying to cover it up? Read this awesome book!