Customer Reviews

Ninth Day of Creation

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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?

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!'

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.

In San Diego, biochemist Dr. Richard Kirby of Immunological Technologies has found a way of introducing a third strand into the DNA double helix model of Watson and Crick. Richard, accompanied by his employer Dan Rosen, will introduce his findings to the General Assembly of the World Health organization in Geneva. Richard's solution to the long-stalled field of gene therapy is amazing, having realized a dream held by geneticists since Watson and Crick first elucidated the structure of genes in 1953.

However, Richard's trip to Switzerland only acts to catalyze a worsening series of global events and bring him to the attention of some already desperate world leaders. From China (whose leaders are dealing underhandedly with an ecological disaster) to the President of the United States (who is about to discover that he has unwittingly supported a top secret biological warfare program) to other places on the globe, all the players quickly seize on Kirby as a key element to the unravelling of their problems.

NINTH DAY OF CREATION successfully blends science and politics into a taut thriller that warns about the potentially dark side of genetics. Does the tale require a stretch in terms of Kirby's actions? Absolutely. But no one will care because the plot is that exciting. Leonard Crane makes a scientifically plausible argument that our current dabbling in the gene code could prove to be the biological equivalent to the 1940s nuclear energy experiments with misuse leading to genocide and racial cleansing. Instead of preaching, Mr. Crane succeeds with invoking his message by packing it inside a fast-paced, non-stop action scientific thriller. The premise will send shock waves through sub-genre fans because the well-written story line appears so feasible.

Harriet Klausner

Leonard Crane's Ninth Day of Creation is an excellent science thriller that has unfortunately been a bit overlooked. It is not nearly as well known as it should be, this is truly an excellent book. Indeed, this is the best book of it's type that I have read in a long time not written by a certain M. Crichton. This book deals with complex science issues (biological weapons, search for the cure for AIDS, protein folding, etc.) that will appeal to readers who like a science slant to their novels. However, it also has a thriller and suspense aspect. Anyone should like this book.

Reccommended for Crichton fans!

Do you enjoy science fiction novels with lots of action, believable, interesting characters, and solid science? This is the book for you!

Leonard Crane gets bonus points for featuring some really smart, strong female characters, and also for not resorting to one of the most common mistakes of science fiction novels, which is having all of the characters jumping into bed with each other. (You could read this book to your grandmother and not be embarrassed.)

I won't rehash the plot. I'll just tell you that this book ranks right up there with Jurassic Park and Andromeda Strain.

If you'd like to know more about it, come on over to Amazon's Science Fiction and Fantasy Discussion Board for a visit. There are plenty of friendly folks there who will be more than happy to discuss books with you, including this one!

Leonard Crane's voluminous work (nearly 660 pages) jumps off the pages and grabs the reader immediately with a fascinating and intriguing prologue. Right off the bat, the reader knows that something very profound and sinister is lurking ahead.

"The Ninth Day of Creation" centers on Richard Kirby, one of many brilliant scientists working at a little known, yet highly secured laboratory called Imtech. Richard and his team, through the magic of genetic science, have found the cure for AIDS and the world may never be the same. But all is not as it seems at Imtech, and the reader is sent on journey of power, greed, corruption, political intrigue and world mayhem. Set in the very near future (sometime after the Clinton administration), we are shown a world where tensions between the United States and Mexico are coming to a head. President Coleman has hit a wall in his relationship with the fiery leader of Mexico, Camilla Montoya. Add to that, a missing ship in the China Sea, the ongoing antagonism between China and Taiwan, and America's shrinking military might due to budget cuts of key elements in the Air Force and Navy, and we find Kirby's miraculous cure quickly takes a backseat.

This is an extremely ambitious novel, and it works on many levels and is interlaced with many subplots (maybe too many), and because it is so ambitious, not everything jells. The reader will find himself/herself reading in spurts. There are times "Ninth Day" is impossible to put down, while at other times....

Crane succeeds best when he focuses on world tensions, and indeed, the sub hunts and sea skirmishes are some of the best writing I've seen in many years. I was absolutely glued to those pages! Also, the intrigue centering around Imtech is handled masterfully and keeps the reader on edge and guessing. Crane has a great knack for grabbing the reader's interest and building tension. What's also interesting is that the novel is not setup conventionally with chapters, but is sprinkled throughout with headings, and this works surprisingly well.

Crane's knowledge and research of his subject matter, including military tactics and armament, are first-rate, however, much of the science of genetics, biochemistry and vaccinations won't be particularly exciting for the average reader to wade through (scientists will love it, though). Crane's eye for detail and scientific explanation slowed the pace of the novel at key moments. This can frustrate a reader who is totally caught up in events, then is made to wait too long for the payoff. I also have some minor quibbles concerning the handling of some the subplots and the validity of some of the characters (although most are handled deftly). Indeed, after finishing the novel, I'm not sure I know who Richard Kirby is...and damn it, I SHOULD know.

These minor criticisms aside, "Ninth Day of Creation" turned out to be a very enjoyable read, and at times, absolutely riveting! If Crane would have trimmed his work by 100 or so pages by deleted unnecessary detail, and drawn a few of his main characters just a tad deeper, I'd rank this novel a must buy. As it stands, "Ninth Day" gets a marginal 7 out of 10. Make no mistake, this is a fine piece of work, and one I'm sure most will thoroughly enjoy.

Leonard Crane. Remember the name. I think we will be hearing much more from this talented writer.

Ninth Day of Creation is one of those books that you wish would never end. When you read the last page, you want to just start reading it again. Between the fast-paced action and the factual information presented to the reader, this book is utterly satisfying. When Dr. Kirby of Immunological Technologies discovers a cure for AIDS, the world is stunned. Mexico, with it's new female president, Camilla Montoya, is desperate for a way to get it and rid it's diseased population of the virus forever. But the managers of Imtech are using this new technology to form a bioweapon of ultimate proportions. Now, with a crisis brewing in Mexico following Montoya's apparent abduction and a coup d'etat within the government, Richard Kirby must discover what has happened to Montoya . . . and his wife, who has mysteriously vanished from her hospital. This book is definitely one of my favorites. From the first page to the last, you are presented with incredibly accurate information on all sorts of the things mentioned in this book, be it a virus or an aircraft carrier. Amazingly well-written, I found myself stunned by the ideas presented later in the book. The ending was marvelous, and was exactly as it should have been. Much more than any techno-thriller has ever been, this book is definitely a must-buy for any reader.

I'll cut to the chase: This book is staggeringly dull. A lack of any real character development, action, or intersting ideas leaves the reading wondering not only why it was written but, more importantly, why anyone would read more than 10 pages of it. Could have used a good editor but then what would have been left? Not much.