Channeling Cleopatra [Paperback]

Elizabeth Ann Scarborough (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 27, 2003

One of the most beautiful and powerful women in history. Cleopatra had it all. And now anyone can, too. For a price. Her secrets...her wiles... her way with men-all transplanted from her DNA.

The only problem is no one has found it yet.

The chase is on-and forensic anthropologist Leda Hubbard is leading the pack.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Forget Dolly the sheep: genetic engineering goes for the gold and takes on historical figures namely Cleopatra in a process that is not quite cloning and not quite the channeling of the title of this light fantasy from Nebula Award-winner Scarborough. The geniuses at Nucor company have perfected a computer-based program that can insert DNA from one person into another, thereby giving the second person the personality and thoughts of the first. It even works on the DNA of people long dead thus the DNA of the famed queen is the target of the archeological quest driving this story. Leda Hubbard, a closet Egyptologist and lover of antiquities whose day job is in forensic sciences, gets involved in a semi-shady assignment for Nucor to find Cleopatra's remains so her DNA can be injected into a wealthy client. Leda doesn't particularly approve of the channeling process, but getting to go on an archeological dig is the thrill of a lifetime. In the course of her adventures, she experiences a natural disaster, gets kidnapped and ends up taking Cleopatra on as an internal passenger. It's an interesting concept, but Scarborough's (The Lady in the Loch, the Acorna series with Anne McCaffrey) scattershot approach which includes tributes to metaphysics, Egyptology (especially Elizabeth Peters mysteries), gumshoe detectives, channeling and action adventure never quite allows the story to coalesce into something more than readable and occasionally humorous bits and pieces. Striking jacket art incorporating an ancient Egyptian double helix elegantly conveys the book's theme.

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

amusing -- The Washington Post Book World --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Ace (May 27, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0441010210
• ISBN-13: 978-0441010219
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,884,772 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Altogether I've written and collaborated on 38 novels, 22 solo and 16 in collaboration with the fabulous Anne McCaffrey.
Among my solo novels is THE HEALER'S WAR, the 1989 Nebula Award winner for best novel, loosely based on my experiences as a nurse in Vietnam.
I have also written a traditional, though humorous, 4-book fantasy series, SONGS FROM THE SEASHELL ARCHIVES, a feminist Arabian Nights fantasy, two fantasies set in the Wild West and the Yukon Goldrush respectively, my obligatory science fiction writer's apocalypse book and the sequel, both set in Tibet, and three books about folk music and magic that made a big hit with the Library of Congress Folk Music Archives, which I blew up in the first book. Three of my books are about fairy godmothers, one is about Christmas and computers, one features Sir Walter Scott in a Victorian gothic mystery set in Edinburgh, and two are about Queen Cleopatra as the living "Past life" of two different women.
Just last week I released for the first time anywhere, a new e-book (available soon as Print on Demand as well), SPAM VS THE VAMPIRE. Spam is a cat whose mistress disappears suddenly, leaving him and his 14 feline housemates alone and soon to starve. When someone breaks into the house, Spam takes the opportunity to escape into the outside world, where he's actually never been before, to hunt for his human, or at least some other human to feed and care for him and his friends until their friend Darcy comes back. The more he hunts, the more he becomes sure that she is not going to be coming back on her own.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A suspenseful science fiction novel filled with action, March 30, 2002

By 

Edward Alexander Gerster "miamibooks" (South Miami, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Channeling Cleopatra (Hardcover)

The cover art really drew me to this book, as I have not read much before by this author. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was a very enjoyable read; a suspenseful science fiction novel filled with espionage and action. The idea of cloning from ancient DNA is not new (Jurassic Park, need I say more) but the idea of "blending" personalities inherent in DNA was a new twist, handled very well. The archaeological aspects in Alexandria were also well described and made for some vibrant settings.

One of the highlights of this novel was the way Scarborough develops her characters into unique individuals that are easy to associate with, both good and evil. The protagonist and antagonist(s) are people that truly act out according to their personal beliefs and values-a very human trait which often gets left behind in science fiction works. I highly recommend this book-entertaining, engaging and full of plot twists that keep your interest.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enchanting, March 6, 2002

By 

Shala Kerrigan (Anchorage, Ak) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Channeling Cleopatra (Hardcover)

Another well researched and lovely book by E. A. Scarborough. I was completely impressed by this, reading her books is always a joy, but this one goes to the top of the list along with Healer's War, and the Songkiller Trilogy as being my favorites by her.
Fantastic characters you can sympathise with, I really liked the main character's father Duke. He reminds me a bit of my own dad.
The story flowed, with puns and verbal plays throughout, but also moments of darkness. Whimsical, thoughtful, wonderful.
I would recommend reading the anthology, Past Lives, Present Tense first, but it's not truly necessary. It just gives more information about Chimera.
Thank you E. A. Scarborough, for another wonderful book!!!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing idea; fascinating development, August 20, 2006

By 

K. Sozaeva "Obsessive bibliophile" (Athens, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Channeling Cleopatra (Hardcover)

What if you could pick any person from history and, through the computerized infusion of their DNA, receive their personality - their soul, for a better word - to share your body? When a young scientist named Tsering's wife - Chime - died, he developed techology that transferred her DNA (which, as it turns out contains not only the genetic structure of a person, but their personality as well) into a computer program that implanted onto his retina, created the first "blended" person. They call themselves Chimera. Thus began the company Nucore. They enlist the aid of their friend Leda Hubbard to find Cleopatra's tomb for their friend Gretchen, who hopes to use Cleopatra's legendary charm to save her marriage. However, it seems unscrupulous forces may be at work - maybe even within Nucore itself . . .

While the technology itself, being utilized pretty much during the present day, requires a pretty hefty suspension of disbelief, the story unfolds at a rapid-fire pace, covering not only the ethics of the procedure itself, but also touching on the topics of female genital mutilation, the general treatment of women by fundamentalist Islamics, unscrupulous medical procedures and so forth. It is continued in the book Cleopatra 7.2, which I am reading right now and cannot wait to see how it concludes.