Customer Reviews

Sims, Book 3: Meerm

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It is the near future, and there have been amazing advances in genetics research. Through gene therapy, many diseases have been cured. The SimGen Corporation has now created a transgenic species called sims, part chimpanzee and part human, that are used as slave labor. Suddenly a group of sims working as caddies at a golf club want to unionize. They hire lawyer Patrick Sullivan to represent them, and he begins to ponder whether sims are entitled to human rights. He soon meets activist Romy Cadman and a mysterious masked man, simply called Zero, who are on a crusade to destroy SimGen and stop the creation of sims. While the three of them try to protect the sims, they come close to uncovering a sinister secret in SimGen, and the company will stop at nothing to deter them.

The reader is treated to a fascinating peek into a possible future for genetics research. This hypothetical forecast is not so far-fetched, however scary and unethical it might be. Transgenic animals, in which human genetic material is inserted into animal DNA, are already being created today for the benefit of humanity. Transgenic cows have been developed, and they have human proteins in their milk, such as insulin, that can be used by the pharmaceutical industry to treat human disease. Pigs with human DNA are being developed with the goal of future use in organ transplants. This novel carries genetic experimentation forward to a next logical step: transgenic primates. Where would such creatures stand in society? Would they be considered people or animals?

"Sims" was originally written as a series of novellas, but the story holds together seamlessly as a novel. Although very different from F. Paul Wilson's Repairman Jack novels, it is an excellent science thriller. At times the story line is a bit formulaic, a la Robin Cook, with an evil corporation twisting medical procedures for its own unspeakable ends and ruthlessly destroying those who stand in its path. But it touches on a fascinating subject, is fast-paced, and is full of edge-of-your-seat suspense. The ending has a surprising twist. I recommend this book not only as a riveting read but also as food for thought on the ethics of genetic manipulation.

Eileen Rieback

Sims takes place on Earth, but in an alternate time stream. On this Earth, the field of genetics is far ahead of what we have today. On this Earth gene splicing is a common occurrence. On this Earth, almost every major genetically transferred disease has been all but forgotten.

SimGen is the largest company in the world. How did they get there? They market genetically altered chimpanzees called SIMS. SimGen has found the genes that will allow these SIMS: limited speech, be larger in size, not reproduce, and yet be docile enough to work. SimGen leases their "product" to business throughout the world as cheap but efficient labor.

Not being happy with their fate, a group of SIMS has enlisted the aid of a lawyer named Patrick Sullivan to help them form a union. Could this be the start of the downfall of the giant corporation known as SimGen?

In Wilson's forward, he states that this is the first novella in what will probably comprise 5 or more books. Though not groundbreaking, this first novella sets the groundwork for what looks to be a solid series.

Currently, this book is only available as a signed limited edition through Cemetery Dance Publications. The print run was only 750 copies. So, if you can find one, snatch it up. There aren't many to go around. Future installments will likewise be the same. Hopefully in the future, there will be a mass-market paperback version so that a larger number of people could enjoy this book.

Patrick Sullivan is a lawyer, not an activist. If the country club managers hadn't been so rude and so contemptuous, he would have walked away from the sims seeking a union. In a moment of pique, however, he took on the clients and the case--and set himself up for a world of trouble. SimGen has become one of the largest corporations in America largely on the strength of one 'product.' A genetically altered species of chimpanzee, with human genes spliced in--the sim. Thanks to hardworking sims (engineered to work without complaining, without pay, and without weekends and holidays), the U.S. is able to compete with low-wage countries again, able to spare its 'humans' from the worst jobs, and able to enjoy an economic boom. When Patrick files his lawsuit, SimGen turns its legal and extra-legal weapons directly on him--because sims are property, and property cannot unionize, cannot petition the government, and certainly cannot be considered 'people' in any sense--not if SimGen is to stay in business. Worse, SimGen has powerful backers--backers that frighten even the corporation's founders. They don't like Patrick much either. Fortunately, Patrick finds a few allies--in an organization that is trying to eliminate the entire sim industry. But allies like that can get him killed too.

Author F. Paul Wilson has created a powerful and exciting story out of current headlines. In scientific circles, there is currently a debate about whether chimpanzees should be reclassified as part of genus homo--as part of the human family. They are, in fact, more closely related to humans than they are to gorillas. DNA research is inserting genes from one species into another--to produce insect resistant crops and specialty animals for medical research. Science could allow development of something like the sims, and allow it relatively soon. Wilson's fears about the government backing down to financial pressures and of secret government funding of projects is also based on current trends--the C.I.A. has even created a venture capital fund to promote research into areas of its interest. Wilson didn't even get into the heart of the problems of government agencies who have their own funding and no need to go to Congress for funding and authorization.

Wilson's strong writing propells the story forward. Although many of the plot twists are predictable, they are, nevertheless, enjoyable and satisfying. SIMS is hard to put down. I read it in a single sitting.

The time is the future. Through genetic manipulation, an underclass, part man and part chimpanzee, has been created for the purpose of serving man. This new creature, known as a "sim," is docile and has no desire for money or sex; he or she theoretically cannot procreate. For these reasons, sims make ideal servants and they are a source of enormous profit. SimGen is a multibillion-dollar corporation that has the exclusive right to create and lease these creatures. The owners will resort to anything, including violence, to keep the dollars rolling in.

Patrick Sullivan, a crafty labor lawyer, is shocked when he is approached by a sim who can read. This sim works at a golf club and he wants Patrick to form a union for sims. Patrick, along with a mysterious individual named Zero and a woman named Romy Cadman, risk their lives by fighting for the right of sims to be considered as individuals, not products.

Although, in lesser hands, this story could have come across as silly or maudlin, Wilson manages to imbue his novel with enough gentle humor, pathos, and suspense to make it work. "Sims" has its imperfections. At over four hundred pages, it is unnecessarily long and repetitious. The villains are stereotypes and they are unbelievably inept considering the resources at their disposal. However, the David and Goliath aspect of the novel has a certain appeal and Wilson is skilled at presenting fascinating scientific background about genetics. "Sims" is a timely and exciting novel about the danger of technology without morality.

In the near future, two brothers Mercer and Elias Sinclair formed a company called SimGen that spliced chimpanzees and human genes creating a new life form, Sims that is neither human nor chimp but a sterile hybrid. Sims have forty four chromosomes and humans have forty six but the most crucial difference of all is that Sims are considered property even though they can think, talk and pray to the same God humans worship.

They are leased to individuals and corporations but SimGen owns them and this situation is very repugnant to Romy Cadman who works for a secret organization headed by Zero. He is dedicated to forcing the public to accept Sims as a branch of the human family. Patrick Sullivan is approached by a group of Sims who desire to form a union. What starts out as a task becomes a cause as the attorney comes to believe totally Sims deserve civil rights. What the public doesn't know and Romy and Patrick are only beginning to learn is that there is a shadow organization within SimGen that will go to any lengths to protect their experiments and dirty secrets.

This work is science fiction though the technology to create a Sim outside of the game world seems just around the corner. The story line is exciting, fast-paced and scientifically based raising powerful social issues that should be dealt with sooner than later. F. Paul Wilson is well known for his repairman Jack Horror novels but readers should note that SIMS is totally different but just as creative and cutting edge.

Harriet Klausner

I am a huge fan of F. Paul Wilson. Ever since I read the short story collection, Soft and Others and his first Adversary Cycle novel The Keep back in the 1980s, I've kept my eye out for every Wilson novel since. I especially enjoy the Repairman Jack series.

So when I saw that Wilson was releasing a set of novellas called Sims, I panicked because each one was $35 each and I knew I couldn't afford to get them all. Imagine my relief when I noticed that they had been combined into one volume.

Sims is a science thriller about gene splicing. Scientists, armed with the information that humans and chimps share 98.4% of their DNA, have hybridized the two into a new species, the sim. Sims are used primarily as servants, entirely owned by and leased from SimGen, a conglomerate owned by the two Sinclair brothers--Mercer and Ellis.

Lawyer Patrick Sullivan is asked one day by a sim to represent them in a suit to unionize all sims. When he accepts, all hell breaks loose. Who knew sims could think that way, does that make them more human than monkey?

Author F. Paul Wilson raises this question in others while keeping the story moving. He is at his best in this type of thriller. And there are lots of interesting characters along for the ride, not least the mysterious Zero who is leading the fight against SimGen. But why? And who is behind Zero, financing his ventures? All the questions are answered in the end.

Sims is a wild ride from one of the great modern authors, showing us he is still at the peak of his game. I can't wait for the next F. Paul Wilson thriller.

Don't worry, I'll just cut to the chase and not bore you with "in 2000 I read my first book from this author, blah-blah..." This book is simply fantastic. Read on.

Maybe you've read the synopsis somewhere, maybe online, maybe on the inside cover of the book; for those who came in late...here it is again: It is sometime in the future (F. Paul Wilson doesn't even waste time saying "in the not-too-distant-future" or "in the year 20--", so don't worry), and mankind has tampered with nature to suit his needs yet again.

There are proto-human creatures called sims that have been created for the work force. Two brothers, Mercer and Ellis Sinclair, after raising tons of money from creating genetically altered domestic cats (so they don't give off dander), have created--and are the owners of--the sims. Sims mostly appear human, but have flatter noses, larger ears, and other easily distinguishable features. They were created from chimpanzees that had their DNA altered so as to become taller, stronger, and more capable of intelligence--yet not enough to become another species of human; this way, the Sinclairs can officially sell the sims to the work force as if they were a PRODUCT, as opposed to an ORGANISM. And it shows--every sim has a barcode tattooed on the back of their neck. Does this seem at all cruel to you? Well, it certainly does to a few people in here, especially to one of the main characters, Patrick Sullivan, a lawyer who runs into an aging sim in the men's room at a golf course...and makes the decision that changes his life forever...but to give away much more than this would be to spoil the wonders of this gem of a book.

A combination of work, reading other books, and going to a writer's convention where I met F. Paul Wilson himself, made for a bumpy ride reading the book--it took me almost two MONTHS to finish it--so my opinion may be a little biased; however, I think it is safe to say that this is a quick read, and I can say without hesitation that it certainly is a great one. Superb characters, good description (without overdoing it, though!), plenty of humor, some scares, some tears, so many good things...just like everything that F. Paul Wilson has written.

Now order a copy and read, and in Wilson's words that he inscribed in the front cover of my own copy, "Get in touch with your inner chimp!"

In this day and age of stem-cell research and animal cloning, "Sims" will strike a serious chord. It is the story of SimGen, a billion-dollar organization that has created a hybrid chimp/human slave, leasing them out as workers. Sims are considered property, have few rights and privileges (though, being expensive property, are usually treated with a degree of respect), and viewed by law as less than human. But, from out of nowhere, a group of sims steps forward, approaching opportunistic lawyer Patrick Sullivan with a proposal for a sim union.

Sullivan's case, though, rapidly becomes something more--a cause. With earth-shaking secrets hidden deep in its closet, how far will SimGen go to keep Sullivan from learning the truth? In times like these, "Sims" is a novel to read and pay attention to. A unique blend of legal, sci-fi, and medical thrillers, F. Paul Wilson's novel brings to light certain social issues that have been mentioned, but never dealth with like this. No matter what you think of genetic engineering, you should read this novel. It is not a prophecy, it is not even a politically-motivated piece...it is simply a stellar, suspenseful novel that raises a few questions, but provides no answers. Those are up to you.

The Sims story goes against the grain of the Repairman Jack series by Wilson, but with great success. I love novels that take a bit of present day science headlines and spin them into a tale of the world gone amuck. A slave race of simians has been bio-engineered and then leased to businesses and the general populace to carry out work that the human race finds too distasteful to do themselves. But some people believe the Sims should have rights and be treated more like their human brethren. Thus is the basic plot of this book. I loved reading this story and so did my wife. She normally hates these kind of stories, but once she pick this book up, she couldn't put it down! What better recommendation than that?

The time is the future and chimpanzees have been genetically modified to be closer to humans to be used as a low-cost labor force. This has all been accomplished by SimTech which breeds the sims and maintains ownership.

But what happens when a lawyer, who once earned money as a golf caddy, insists on tipping a sim golf caddy? Well, that simple action starts the book off said lawyer is contacted by a group of sims who want to hire him.

Soon his case has him the talk of the country as everyone, including himself, tries to figure out what he is doing with the case and why. SimTech is especially concerned as it could affect their earnings and even their existence. Add to that a secret group that is dedicated to exposing SimTech and bringing it down.

Although a legal battle is at the heart of the story, this is not a courtroom drama. Most of the legalese happens off stage and proceeds as predicted by various characters. But even after the case is ended, the snowball is still rolling until a final crescendic crash at the end of the book.

This book reminded me why I like F. Paul Wilson so much. Even when you know what is about to happen, you have to keep reading to see how it is done. But even with everything you can figure out beforehand, there are still plenty of surprises before the final conclusion. Definitely a good read that keeps the pages turning.