Sea Change [Abridged, Audiobook] [Audio Cassette]

James Powlik (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 17, 1999

In the cold waters of the Pacific Northwest, two fishermen are the first to feel the heat. Then a young girl, playing innocently by the seashore--before dying an agonizing death. Now the media have a story. Reporters, scientists, and government officials are descending on the coastline, searching for a killer in the water. And renegade oceanographer Brock Garner is at the center of the storm. He wants to know why he's finding dead zones in the Pacific...and why his best friend's heart stopped after he examined ravaged sea lions on a beach.

Dr. Ellie Bridges, on duty when the little girl died, has questions of her own. Thrown together in the chaos, Brock and Ellie are about to discover some disturbing truths: about a catastrophe of unimaginable proportions that is growing. Gathering strength. And moving--unless they can stop it--south toward a new victim: Seattle.

In this riveting, brilliantly cinematic novel, real-life oceanographer James Powlik creates a chilling scenario that isn't just plausible, it already exists. Because between nature's wrath and man's worst secrets, a deadly terror has been born at sea. And now the sea will bring it home.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Imagine a mix of Jaws and Godzilla with a touch of Titanic thrown in, and you'll have some idea of the scope and ambition of this debut techno-thriller from Canadian oceanographer James Powlik.

Like in Jaws, something weird is killing people along a coast--in this case, the Pacific Northwest. Like in Godzilla, something we've done to the environment has caused simple creatures--in this case, tiny marine protozoa--to go crazy and mutate into a new killer entity. The Titanic touch comes when billions of these nasty creatures gather together to form a huge floating blob the size of an iceberg, which gives off a noxious gas that not only dissolves human tissue but also stops boat and plane engines dead.

By the time marine microbiologist Brock Garner and his ex-wife, whale sonar expert Carol Harmon, figure out just what the murderous agent is, the mucky mountain is caught up in a terrific storm that is pushing it toward Seattle. And the government isn't doing a lot to stop it, because they know who's behind the monstrous mutation--a former Defense Department consultant who happens to be Carol's father.

Powlik keeps this all from falling into the dangerous waters of "high camp" by making sure his characters are as reality-based and accessible as his scientific expertise. --Dick Adler --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

A life-threatening plankton bloom (a fast-growing colony of microorganisms that eats every living thing in its path) is gathering strength off the coast of Washington State. Meanwhile, marine microbiologist Brock Garner and his ex-wife, Carol, who are investigating the mysterious death of Carol's brother, slowly realize that Mark is not the only fatality and that whatever is causing mass destruction among the marine population is a serious threat to all life in the area. Mobilizing what resources they can, the Garners and a small group of like-minded individuals set out to stop the colony from moving into Puget Sound. Biologist and oceanographer Powlik brings a great deal of real-life knowledge to this fantastical story of microorganisms running rampant. The possibility that such an event could actually happen helps make this a suspenseful and gripping tale. A good summer read; suitable for most fiction collections.AJo Ann Vicarel, Cleveland Heights-University Heights P.L., OH
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Random House Audio; Abridged edition (August 17, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553526723
• ISBN-13: 978-0553526721
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 4.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (57 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,047,949 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Intelligent and fast-paced thriller., December 15, 1999

By 

E. Bukowsky "booklover10" (NY United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Sea Change (Hardcover)

James Powlik has pulled off a remarkable feat. He has written a book with a great deal of complicated and technical scientific language, yet he makes the narrative exciting. "Sea Change" deals with an environmental threat that poses a tremendous danger to warm-blooded mammals in an area near Washington State and Vancouver, British Columbia. Powlik has a background in biology and oceanography, and although the book is fiction, there is a factual basis in what he writes. "Sea Change" is frightening in its implications and the action sweeps the reader along until the end. A word of warning--this book is not for the sqeamish. The characters and the dialogue are, for the most part, believable. Readers who love scientific mysteries will find "Sea Change" enthralling and thought-provoking.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars I wanted to like it, but..., October 3, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Sea Change (Mass Market Paperback)

While I appreciated the author's extensive research and obvious knowledge of his subject, he simply does not know how to write exciting fiction. The first few chapters started off with promise: inexplicable deaths. An ER doctor's horrifying loss of a child patient. A spooky ship far out at sea. And, yes, some funny repartee between characters. But from there, it became a tedious story of "telling, not showing," whereby the author tells us ABOUT what happens, but doesn't really show us the events with much vividness of language or even much dialogue. For instance, there's a scene toward the end where one helicopter loses altitude, crashing into a chopper below it. Crash! Lives lost! Sorry, but it was the most ho-hum description of a disaster I've ever read. I didn't bat an eye. Perhaps the most serious problem with this book was the nature of the "villain" itself. A microbe. Much as the author tries to infuse it with evil, it remains just that -- a microbe. And the heroes must race to -- well, kill it. That's it. Alas, not very exciting.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm Afraid to Go Near the Water!, March 17, 2000

By 

Jane E. Harkins "Jane" (Flat Top, WV USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Sea Change (Hardcover)

This novel could have the same effect on beach-going as "Jaws" did years ago! Reading the preceding reviews, I am amazed that SEA CHANGE is Powlick's debut; rarely have I seen a first novel that was so concise and well-developed from a literary perspective and so suspenseful and challenging as entertainment. Powlick made difficult oceanographic and biological concepts easy to digest and enjoyable to ponder, in terms of their dangerous implications. The romance was anticipated but not unwelcome, as I cared about the characters, and those I didn't care for (the media-hound) got just deserves. Don't be afraid of this thriller!