Mount Dragon: A Novel [Hardcover]

Douglas J. Preston (Author), Lincoln Child (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1996

Guy Carson, a brilliant researcher at GeneDyne, is delighted when he is transfered to Mount Dragon, the company's high-security genetic engineering lab, until he discovers that scientists there have concocted a killer virus that threatens all humankind. By the authors of Relic. 100,000 first printing.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The writing team that scared the willies out of readers with Relic returns with a second, equally gripping novel of techno-terror. A genetically engineered mutation of DNA holds the promise of eradicating influenza forever. But there's a devastating catch: every living creature who comes in contact with the flu-killing virus dies horribly. In the eponymous research facility located deep in the Jornada del Muerto desert of New Mexico, young geneticist Guy Carson and his colleagues try to solve the problem, working in an atmosphere of increasing paranoia while the future of their employer, GeneDyne, rests on the actions of brilliant scientists driven by opposing motives. The authors weave together so many topical threads here (virtual reality, lost Spanish treasure, ethnic pride, scientific ethics) that only their tight control prevents this rousing scientific adventure from spinning away into hyperspace. It's a grand and scary story, with just enough grisly detail to stimulate real-life fears and characters full enough to engage the attention. The bleak desert provides another fearsome challenge to the novel's characters, as well as a metaphor for humanity's previous attempts to control nature. With science, outdoor adventure, sympathetic players and a catchy dusting of computer lore, there's something here to attract-and satisfy-a diverse range of readers. Author tour. (Feb.) ~ FYI: A teaser chapter from Mount Dragon will be included in the mass market edition of Relic, due out this month.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Guy Carson feels honored to be one of the few genetic scientists selected to work at Mount Dragon, Gene Dyne's heavily guarded compound in the New Mexican desert. The task: to defeat the influenza virus through permanent alteration of the DNA of the human race. The problem: previous attempts have resulted in the creation of an absolutely deadly form of the virus rather than immunity. Guy's job is to solve this problem. He willingly endures the stress and other discomforts of working in a biohazard unit, until he realizes that Gene Dyne's motives are less than altruistic and that the company will stop at nothing to turn a profit. Reading like a fictionalized rock-'em, sock-'em version of Richard Preston's The Hot Zone (LJ 8/94), this thriller from the coauthors of Relic (LJ 1/95) is sure to satisfy. Highly recommended for popular fiction collections.
- ?Rebecca House Stankowski, Purdue Univ. Calumet Lib., Hammond, Ind.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 349 pages
• Publisher: Forge; 1st edition (February 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312860420
• ISBN-13: 978-0312860424
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (112 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #506,760 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Douglas Preston, who worked for several years in the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, is the author of the acclaimed nonfiction works Dinosaurs in the Attic and Cities of Gold, and the novel, Jennie. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Don't worry, it's not a Stand clone, August 13, 2001

By 

M. Larsen "redneck_joe" (Pasadena, CA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mount Dragon (Mass Market Paperback)

I am a big Preston/Child fan. When I saw the cover of this book, I hesitated and thought "Man, I hope this isn't a 90's version of King's "The Stand". After all that book was an epic tale but it took me like a year to read and I wasn't "up" for another run at the same thing. I'm happy to say that the only real similarity Mount Dragon has to The Stand is "the superflu", "Cap'n Tripps", "X-FLU", whatever you want to call it; a doomsday virus capable of wiping out the human race.

I'm not one to tell anyone any secrets so I'll just say this: This was a very well written book, It's an adventure that takes place in the New Mexico desert in a Genetic engineering lab. Yes, the main plot is working with a doomsday virus but there is much more to this story than that! It has high tech computer hacking, industrial espionage, history and legend, cat and mouse chases, and more plot twists than you can shake a test monkey at.

Honestly, I was very entertained by this book. It wasn't what I expected but that was a pleasant suprise. I constantly found myself hitting a major crisis and saying "how can this be happening? I still have XXX amount of pages left here." Not just once, but several times. The book always kept my interest and every time I thought I had the whole thing figured out, the authors threw in another twist.

If you like adventure, you'll enjoy this book. Solid writing and character development throughout, a good branching plot, excellent technical and scientific explanations, and the ending was well conceived and not rushed. Thumbs up on this one, not a 5 star (which I seldom give) but a strong 4.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An average novel, April 25, 2002

By 

D. A. Dodd (Huntsville, AL United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mount Dragon (Mass Market Paperback)

Of all the works published by the Preston and Child team, "Mount Dragon" is my least favorite. The premise of the novel is very similar to The Andromeda Strain, as mentioned by another reviewer. The novel would pick up steam at points, then drag for a while, get exciting again, drag again, etc.

The story revolves around a top secret facility which is believed to be devloping a secret weapon. Two scientists discover the truth behind what is being developed and tested at the facility and soon are on the run. All along, they are aided by persons outside the facility, one of which knows the mastermind personally.

The book starts like most Preston and Child books -- at a rapid pace. However, until the mystery starts to unravel, the pace becomes too slow. The book then picks up again when the truth behind Mount Dragon is discovered. Then, the last third of the book involves the heroes on the run which is too long and drawn out. The confrontation between the mastermind and his adversary in a virtual world is highly entertaining, even though it does seem to be a bit out of place.

Overall, if you like the other works by Preston and Child, you will probably enjoy this one. If you're a fan of science thrillers and haven't read any of their works, read "Riptide" or "The Ice Limit" as they are better works with little to no slow points in the storyline.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but not "Relic" good, January 11, 2001

By 

J. N. Mohlman (Barrington, RI USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mount Dragon (Mass Market Paperback)

I will freely admit that my review of this novel is colored in large part by my opinion of Relic. This novel is by no means bad, but after having read "Relic", and therefore knowing what Preston and Child are capable of, I feel it could have been better.

The characters are drawn in rather broad strokes, and I never felt particularly drawn to any of them. Furthermore, the story, while intriguing, is not exactly edge of your seat stuff.

That said, the writing is excellent. In particular, Preston and Child exhibit excellent descriptive writing ability, and a knack for setting the mood.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but I wouldn't make it the first Preston/Child novel you read.