Ninth Day of Creation [Paperback]

Leonard Crane (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2000

This convincingly rendered science thriller which explores what happens when cutting-edge genetic technology collides with a good old-fashioned ecological catastrophe offers "a gripping tale with all the complexity of a Tom Clancy novel" ("Publishers Weekly").

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In Crane's first novel, a biochemist must decode hexadecimal e-mail fragments, chase assassins and confront the president of the U. S. about his secret biological warfare program. Credulity issues aside, scientist-turned-author Crane spins a gripping tale with all the complexity of a Tom Clancy novel, but without the gift of smoothly weaving together the story's loose threads. Richard Kirby has just announced a dramatic breakthrough in the treatment of AIDS at the WHO conference in Geneva. The White House, eager to defuse a tense political situation, has taken credit for the anonymous funding of this research. Back in his San Diego office, Kirby begins to probe into the apparent suicide of a colleague, as well as clandestine activities in his own company. Enlisting the help of a local newspaper reporter and a CIA agent, Kirby finds himself tracking terrorists who have kidnapped both the president of Mexico and his own wife. Crane provides highly detailed descriptions of advances in biotechnology, clearly the subject he knows best. Yet the details of the larger story, involving military conflicts among multiple nations, are sometimes muddled, further hampered by poor editing. Despite these shortcomings, Crane presents an intriguing scenario of how today's biotechnology could be utilized as an agent of genocide. (June)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Crane spins a gripping tale with all the complexity of a Tom Clancy novel. -- Publishers Weekly, May 29, 2000

Leonard Crane's Ninth Day of Creation successfully weaves cutting-edge scientific speculation into a political thriller with a propulsive, Byzantine plot. -- SFSite.com, April 01, 2001

[It's] an ambitious work, it's very well thought out, and it has something for most everyone to like about it. -- Chemical & Engineering News, April 02, 2001

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 672 pages
• Publisher: Connection Books (CA) (June 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967571294
• ISBN-13: 978-0967571294
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,229,730 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't put it down!, December 30, 2000

By 

shel99 - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Ninth Day of Creation (Paperback)

What a book! Even though it numbers over 600 pages, I finished it in a mere three days, it was that gripping. "The Ninth Day of Creation" is both science fiction and a political thriller, written masterfully so that the suspense builds and builds and never lets up.

A brilliant, young, unassuming scientist has developed a potential cure for AIDS. Mexico's feisty female president is causing major headaches for the US presidency. The Chinese government is attempting to cover up the drastic measures that it has undertaken to prevent the country's collapse. These three seemingly unrelated plots turn out to be intertwined so fully that the events that unfold have shattering implications for everyone concerned. Leonard Crane weaves his plot so well that it's difficult to believe that this is his first novel.

For me, the most important aspect that determines whether or not I like a book is if I care about the characters. All of the main players in this book (and most of the minor characters as well) are very real and mostly likeable, despite their very human flaws. Even the villains are portrayed as real people with real reasons behind their despicable actions, twisted as those reasons may be.

I normally do not particularly enjoy this type of political thriller. It says something for Crane's ability to write a story that I picked up his book and didn't put it down until I had finished it three days later. The action never stops, the science is fascinating and well-researched, the characters are delightful, and the ending is satisfying. Who could ask for more?

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 'Ninth Day of Creation:' Politics and Science Collide!, October 6, 2000

By 

Cody Carlson (Salt Lake City, UT United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ninth Day of Creation (Paperback)

Leonard Crane's novel, 'Ninth Day of Creation,' is a smart, exciting dive into the deadly world of biological warefare and international intrigue. Crane's progtagonist, biochemist Richard Kirby, has just created the impossible- a cure for AIDS. But along with the fame his discovery brings danger awaits. Forces operating from Bejing to Mexico City to Washington D.C. are working against each other. The only connection between the three powers is Imtech, the biological corporation Kirby works for. As Kirby is pulled deeper into the schemes of corporate heads and world leaders everyone he has known becomes suspect. Kirby must use all of his cunning and scientic training to unravel this enigma before it's too late. Though at times the story gets a little bogged down in some of its science aspects, the overall plot is fast-paced and doesn't let go. From the disappearance of two bodies buried in the Alaskan wilderness to car chases in the middle of San Diego to the most exciting modern naval battle this side of Tom Clancy's 'Red Storm Rising,' this is a great adventure yarn- and all this leads to an explosive climax that will leave you wanting more. Fans of the techno-thriller will love 'Ninth Day of Creation!'

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Absorbing and Ingenious!, April 8, 2001

By 

jelliclecat (Toronto) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ninth Day of Creation (Paperback)

First time author Leonard Crane may find it difficult to surpass Ninth Day of Creation, a gripping tale of international politics, science and engaging underdog protagonists.

As a fan of hard science fiction, I deeply appreciated Mr. Crane's solid and plausible presentation of the science-based elements of the story. Crane does an excellent job of presenting complex genetic and other material in a clear manner. He successfully finds that critical balance between too much and too little information and never lets the science overshadow the story. The novel is frighteningly believable. Crane also avoids one of the chief pitfalls of hard SF: weak characters. His characters are both real and interesting, and their personal struggles keep everything on a human level. I also commend him on writing strong, intelligent female characters.

While very much a science-in-fiction novel, Ninth Day of Creation is also a political thriller, perhaps even more so, and, as someone interested in politics and international relations, I greatly enjoyed the story on this level as well. I strongly recommend Ninth Day of Creation to fans of authors such as Tom Clancy and the Reeves-Stevens duo. There is enough action in the air, at sea and on the road to satisfy anyone!

The book's strengths are myriad. Intelligent, fast-paced, with a complex, tightly woven plot, featuring more twists, turns and surprises than one expects; strongly developed characters; international suspense; realistic, informative science... While I personally found the book to be a bit of a slow start, once the chain of events was unleashed, the action didn't stop.