The Vector [Paperback]

MCM (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 20, 2009

"A gripping, scary viruscore tale" - io9.com It's the age of the home-made virus, and humanity is dying. It just doesn't know it yet. In Prague, a young woman named Eva returns home to escape the plagues, only to find her mother missing and the police blaming her for the worst outbreaks in recent memory. Events are complicated by the appearance of a Healer - a merciless Chinese agent - sent to neutralize a new strain that may bring Prague to its knees. With only days until the launch of a super-virus, Eva must navigate a hostile city and escape to safety before she becomes another faceless victim in this global, slow apocalypse. "MCM is one of the most unique voices working in SciFi today." - Martin Gero, Producer, Stargate: Atlantis

Product Details

• Paperback: 376 pages
• Publisher: 1889 Labs Ltd (July 20, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 097815276X
• ISBN-13: 978-0978152765
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,255,508 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

MCM is the author of books like 'The Vector', 'The App', 'Fission Chips' and the livewritten novels 'Typhoon', 'The New Real', and 'Arkady and Kain'. He also wrote and illustrated the anti-DRM fable 'The Pig and the Box', which has been translated into 18 languages and read over one million times by people across the globe. In his spare time, he creates TV series like the award-winning 'RollBots', which can be seen all over the world RIGHT NOW. He lives in Ottawa and Victoria, Canada, because timezones are awesome!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fast-paced thriller for adrenaline junkies, June 5, 2010

By 

A.M. Harte (London, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Vector (Paperback)

There's very little I can say about The Vector that hasn't been said before.

It's action-packed, fast-paced, thrilling and occasionally stomach-turning. Definitely not for the squeamish; being a little iffy about viruses myself, there were several moments where I felt faintly sick. The story's so good, though, that I ploughed on.

The story follows three plot lines: Eva, who is searching for her mother in Prague; Carey, an office worker reluctantly involved in the politics behind vaccines for viruses; and the mysterious Healer who is hunting down the original hosts of the viruses, called the `vectors'.

Having these three different plot lines really helps the reader sink into this post-apocalyptic world and understand the situation from all perspectives. Eva is on the streets, at risk of being infected herself, and sees the gritty reality of death. Carey is involved in the office politics, giving a sense that these epidemics are much more calculated and sinister than expected. And the Healer sees everything from an outsider perspective, an objective executioner of sorts.

The setting is well-planned, and incredibly realistic. As for the writing style of the narrative, MCM is a professional author and it shows, even in the little details. I particularly like how he uses dialogue and lexical choices to subtly convey character accents.

If I had to complain about anything, I'd say the prologue is the weakest part of the story. The staccato sentences struck me as odd, as did the use of `it' to refer to the Healer.

Overall, an exciting and thrilling read. If you're an adrenaline-junkie with a fondness for sci-fi, this is the story for you.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Virus Technothriller, April 27, 2010

By 

Adam Sampson "Adam Sampson, CEO of Tricorp Pu... (Provo, Utah United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Vector (Kindle Edition)

Vector is a great, character driven novel. It is set in a plague ridden Europe, not to far in the future. The main characters (there are a few of them) try to survive and do what they think is right, only occasionally succeeding. I loved the writing style and the future Europe is very believable, with realistic technology. The ending was poetic, but a bit of a mixed bag, it does not end the way you expect it to. Although I gave it four stars, for that price I would recommend it to anyone.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow!, August 23, 2009

By 

P. R. Pival (Calgary, AB) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Vector (Kindle Edition)

A really scary twist on writing viruses - not for computers, but for humans! Couldn't put it down for the last hour 'cause I had to see how it finished. Very good story!