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5.0 out of 5 stars
SF at its best--chillingly plausible, intelligent and relevant, April 11, 2007
This review is from: Synergy (Paperback)
In Synergy, the setting of Earth in the next century is frighteningly plausible, with the advance in technology, the shortage and high cost of things we now take for granted (water, simple foodstuffs), the demand for 'designer' drugs, over-population and deforestation. The plot is compelling, not just the surface story of the desperate race to find a cure for a deadly and rapidly-progressing disease, but also the interactions between the characters that propel them forward and give momentum to the plot.
Torver, a gifted molecular biologist in danger of losing his licence, is not a very likeable protagonist to begin with, but he grows and becomes more sympathetic as the story progresses. Demetria, the statistical analyst assigned to work with him on a confidential case, is likewise flawed--she may be brilliant but she's also cold and ornery. Both Torver and Demetria possess strange powers (brilliantly described) that synergistically resolve the intricacies of the non-government-sanctioned research they're undertaking. When the results prove a whole lot more sinister and far-reaching than anyone could expect, an ethical can of worms burst wide open, to alarming and heart-wrenching effect.
The pace picking up quickly from an unhurried start, Synergy is SF at its best--chillingly plausible, with a solid plot, excellent characterization, dramatic tension that builds relentlessly, with the pages flying by as the reader races to the sound and satisfying climax. More than anything else, Synergy makes the reader ponder a not-too-distant future in which genetic research will likely result in even more conflict and ethical problems than it does now, and the question of who sets the guidelines and who watches the watchers will be more controversial than ever before.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
A timely glimpse into the future, February 18, 2008
This review is from: Synergy (Paperback)
Far in the future, but not too far, we get a glimpse of what the future holds for us if we fail to heed warnings about genetic engineering and our environment. It is clear that in this future we have used genetics to our own detriment. Genetic mutations are rampant and, belatedly, genetic engineering has been almost totally banned.
With this future as the backdrop for our story, we find a geneticist with a mutation that allows him to see into others' lives. This gift is one of the keys to his survival. While he seeking a cure for a young boy's deadly illness, he uncovers an important key to genetic manipulation that has the potential to cure all mutations or to wipe out the entire planet. When a drug lord seeks to use his genetic knowledge to engineer the perfect all-addictive drug, he finds that he must use his wits and his gift to save the lives of those people close to him and to save the world.
It has been a long time since I have enjoyed a book more.
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