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  • Darwin's Radio

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Darwin's Radio Mass Market Paperback – July 5, 2000


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A 2000 HUGO AWARD NOMINEE

Ancient diseases encoded in the DNA of humans wait like sleeping dragons to wake and infect again--or so molecular biologist Kaye Lang believes. And now it looks as if her controversial theory is in fact chilling reality. For Christopher Dicken, a "virus hunter" at the Epidemic Intelligence Service, has pursued an elusive flu-like disease that strikes down expectant mothers and their offspring. Then a major discovery high in the Alps --the preserved bodies of a prehistoric family--reveals a shocking link: something that has slept in our genes for millions of years is waking up.

Now, as the outbreak of this terrifying disease threatens to become a deadly epidemic, Dicken and Lang must race against time to assemble the pieces of a puzzle only they are equipped to solve--an evolutionary puzzle that will determine the future of the human race . . . if a future exists at all.
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“A masterpiece . . . Fascinating.”—USA Today

“Vintage Bear . . . [His] characters are as complex as his ideas.”
—The Seattle Times

“Bear is one of our very best, and most imaginative, speculative writers.”
—New York Daily News

“I’m not sure my heart's ever beaten as hard from reading fiction as it did while I read
Darwin’s Radio. This is science fiction set pretty much in the world of today, but . . . it’s a world undergoing a profound change, one that's maybe even necessary.”—Stephen Graham Jones, New York Times bestselling author of The Only Good Indian

“A writer for anyone concerned with the human condition.”
—Seattle Post-Intelligencer

“[A] riveting, near-future thriller.”
Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Absorbing and ingenious.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“If anyone is the complete master of the grand-scale SF novel, it’s Bear.”
­—Booklist

From the Inside Flap

A 2000 HUGO AWARD NOMINEE

Ancient diseases encoded in the DNA of humans wait like sleeping dragons to wake and infect again--or so molecular biologist Kaye Lang believes. And now it looks as if her controversial theory is in fact chilling reality. For Christopher Dicken, a "virus hunter" at the Epidemic Intelligence Service, has pursued an elusive flu-like disease that strikes down expectant mothers and their offspring. Then a major discovery high in the Alps --the preserved bodies of a prehistoric family--reveals a shocking link: something that has slept in our genes for millions of years is waking up.

Now, as the outbreak of this terrifying disease threatens to become a deadly epidemic, Dicken and Lang must race against time to assemble the pieces of a puzzle only they are equipped to solve--an evolutionary puzzle that will determine the future of the human race . . . if a future exists at all.

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Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
1,169 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find this science fiction novel engaging and well-written, with a solid plot that's based on plausible scientific concepts. Moreover, the book features well-developed characters and suspenseful elements, and customers appreciate its realistic approach to science fiction. Additionally, they value the extensive scientific content, with one customer noting the inclusion of a glossary of scientific terms, and another highlighting the author's background in biomedical research.
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41 customers mention story, 33 positive, 8 negative
Customers enjoy the story of the book, appreciating its interesting premise and solid plot, with several noting that it is entirely plausible.
Great story, very technical and thought provoking. Makes one think of many possibilities for mankind.Read more
This one blew me away. What an interesting story and look at how evolution might actually manifest itself. Very interesting....Read more
...It was better than a movie. I got so involved in the characters and story line I felt like I was reading a story that was happening somewhere in the...Read more
Good story. Good science.Read more
37 customers mention content, 34 positive, 3 negative
Customers enjoy the content of the book, finding it to be one of the best science fiction novels they've read recently, with one customer noting it's a great alternative to the standard spy novel.
...I was beginning to think I was too harsh in my reviews. Good writers are out there, you just have to be persistent. I will read more Greg Bear.Read more
Great readRead more
I think Greg Bear has written an excellent book that is probably not for everyone....Read more
Good book, interesting subject. Well written but felt the ending left me wanting more pages in the book to finish the storyRead more
37 customers mention technical, 33 positive, 4 negative
Customers appreciate the scientific content of the book, noting it is well-researched and sound, with one customer mentioning the inclusion of a glossary of scientific terms.
...To begin with the premise is utter nonsense. Of course it is science FICTION, so there's going to be a certain amount of unreality, but Greg Bear...Read more
...driven story about plausible characters, it was worth looking up the biological references The results for me was a better understanding of the...Read more
This is a challenging and thought-provoking book. I bought this for a friend who I knew would enjoy it....Read more
...Bear must be a very smart guy to write such a compelling, well researched story. If all you want is action and adventure, read Crichton or Grisham....Read more
34 customers mention engaging, 27 positive, 7 negative
Customers find the book engaging and suspenseful, with one customer specifically noting its entertainment value from a science fiction perspective.
...Bear must be a very smart guy to write such a compelling, well researched story. If all you want is action and adventure, read Crichton or Grisham....Read more
...Entirely plausible. The societal reaction, brutal, and likely. Engaging, smart read that keeps you in Bear's world.Read more
Interesting because of the science-based plot premises. Unusual to find a sci-fi book having to do with genetics and micro-biology....Read more
...slowly, it builds to the point that I began finding it hard to put the book down. The ending, however, is a non-ending....Read more
26 customers mention character development, 19 positive, 7 negative
Customers appreciate the well-developed characters in the book.
...I could really get into the story with such well developed characters. I look forward to reading more of his books.Read more
...Well-drawn characters, an area of science reality made accessible to a casual reader. No need for a PhD to follow it....Read more
...Some of the characters are not well-developed. Manuscript is a bit over-long for the plot.Read more
...The characters are very real, human. Definetely recommend.Read more
23 customers mention interesting subject, 22 positive, 1 negative
Customers find the book's subject matter interesting, with one customer describing it as an extremely intense scientific novel, while others appreciate its lively imagination.
Author has command of microbiology and a lively imagination. The plot moves along quickly until 2/3 through the book, when things bog down a bit....Read more
Very interesting idea. Friends are getting tired of my talking about it.Read more
Good book, interesting subject. Well written but felt the ending left me wanting more pages in the book to finish the storyRead more
Interesting subject matter. Very original. Not your typical sci-fi novel....Read more
21 customers mention realism, 16 positive, 5 negative
Customers appreciate the realism of the book, describing it as real science fiction and entirely plausible, with one customer noting the believable underlying psychology.
I picked up this book on a whim. It sounded like it might be good science fiction. I was more than satisfied....Read more
The biology held me throughout. Entirely plausible. The societal reaction, brutal, and likely. Engaging, smart read that keeps you in Bear's world.Read more
...This is portrayed well and realistically.Read more
Usually when books are badly written and implausible, they can occasionally still be fun to read. This is not the case here....Read more
19 customers mention writing style, 16 positive, 3 negative
Customers appreciate the writing style of the book, with one customer noting that the author is well-versed in biomedical research, and another mentioning it was written before the human genome was mapped.
Good book, interesting subject. Well written but felt the ending left me wanting more pages in the book to finish the storyRead more
...I was fascinated by the evolutionary theory, and felt the book was well written....Read more
...Good and well-written story.Read more
Bear knocks it out of the park with this concept and his great writing styleRead more
Be careful about damages
3 out of 5 stars
Be careful about damages
The book and cover are slightly damaged. This is my first time ordering a book that wasn't directly from the author and I was highly disappointed that it was also the first time a book came damaged. Coincidence, I think not.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2006
    I enjoyed this clever novel very much and unlike some reviewers think that the hard science is not at all tiresome. On the contrary, the careful explanations of genetics, bacteriophages, evolution and viruses are extremely helpful, even essential, for fully appreciating the story line. For readers who are not scientists, but who are smart and curious, this is a highly satisfying book.

    One of the main reasons that I seek out great science fiction like Darwin's Radio is that I believe writers like Gregg Bear are creating a plausible cosmology for the 21st Century. The old religions certainly aren't believable any longer, so for a person who is educated and also spiritual there is not much out there in the way of a reasonant belief system. Religion and science seem to me to be two facets of the same thing. Just different aspects to examine the cosmos and imbue it with meaning. Writers like Bear, Baxter and, as ever, Arthur C. Clarke help us make sense of our high-tech environment and envision a future that is hopeful.

    If you are one of those people who wonders "what if?" and believes that there are powers unseen and benign, you should read this novel. It is highly imaginative and highly recommended.
    7 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2010
    Format: Mass Market PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Disgraced archaeologist Mitch Rafelson follows a pair of relic hunters across a glacier to a cave in the Alps that contains an impossible secret.

    Biologist Kaye Lang investigates a mass grave near Geordi, in the former Soviet republic of Georgia, and makes a startling discovery.

    Officials at the CDC struggle to comprehend a strange new disease killing expectant mothers and their babies.

    Three events more intimately related than anyone might imagine. Something is rewriting our genetic blueprint, and time is running out for the human race.

    In his Nebula Award-winning novel, Darwin's Radio, Greg Bear spins a globe-spanning tale that is one part apocalyptic thriller, one part near-future speculation, and one part meditation on the nature of humanity and the forces that drive us to adapt and thrive in a constantly-changing world.

    How might coping with changes in our environment change us? What adaptations might be necessary? While the evolutionary mantra is "adapt or die," Bear draws our attention to the fact that it's easier said than done. Human beings don't take kindly to change, and when, in Darwin's Radio, evolution gets up-close and personal, society begins to crumble.

    Perhaps more terrifying than the relentless progress of a genetic disease is the response of the federal health authorities and the scientific establishment. For the government bureaucrats, the first priority is protecting their own interests. Science takes a back seat to political expediency, even as the crisis spirals out of control. As for the scientists, the idea that our future as a species might be determined by something more sophisticated and intentional than random chance or brute-force competition gives them a collective case of the vapors. Even as the evidence stacks up for something disturbingly intelligent behind the new epidemic, they cling to the comfort of timeworn paradigms about how biological change happens.

    The story shines in its well-researched speculations about human genetics, but follows the familiar formulas of the scientific thriller until Kaye Lang decides to become her own research subject. As she applies her intellect and skills to make sense of what exactly is going on, she finds herself swept along in the tide of forces physical and emotional that defy rational analysis. She begins to realize that nothing can stop the change that is coming, and fighting it may be precisely the wrong answer. At this point, the story really starts to wrestle not only with what might happen, but with what it could mean to us as individuals.

    It's a gripping and very emotional story. A few characters border on cliche', like the self-interested government bureaucrats, corrupt scientists scrambling for research funding, and those eternal bogeymen of scientific "progress," fundamentalist Christian demagogues.

    National governments promote abortion as a solution to the impact of the disease on the unborn, presumptively condemning an entire generation of children to death, but a groundswell of opposition to this policy arises and is sympathetically depicted. The ultimate message of the story is unambiguously pro-life.

    Despite the caricatures, I found it striking that it was the idea of a design behind human creation and development that gave the scientific community their most profound shivers. It didn't seem to matter whether the source was God, some unfathomable intelligence, or an emergent process of our own genetic hardware, the scientists to a man (or woman) fought the idea of anything beyond aimless random chance guiding the biological fate of humanity, to their last tooth and nail. I don't think Bear is far off the mark in depicting that reaction. When science stops searching for truth and chooses instead to defend conventional thought and the status quo against all challenges, it stops being science and becomes something quite irrational, a religion without a moral compass, particularly dangerous in the kind of crisis described in Darwin's Radio.

    The ending screams for a sequel, and there is one: Darwin's Children. Perhaps I'll get to it sooner than I did Darwin's Radio. Hey, it could happen.

    I'd rate this at an R for adult situations, some explicit sexuality, and some rough language. Not for kids.
    7 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2014
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    This book is challenging in many ways. The writing is very good and Bear doesn't lose sight of the story. But, the real value in the book is the things that it forces you to consider. Evolutionary biology is as exciting to me as white water rafting! The science is excellent and thankfully there is a good glossary for the layperson. I suspect that after this many years some of it has already been confirmed or is outdated. One aspect of the book that rang true had to do with institutional response to a crisis. The government, organized religion, and the medical establishment are essentially conservative institutions that protect themselves from drastic change. This is portrayed well and realistically.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    This is a non-standard science fiction, which is good. We don't have faster than light, space battles, aliens or super powers. The question is what caused the rise of homo sapiens over Neanderthals, and could it happen again with a rise of a new species over the homo sapiens. Mr. Bear suggests the new species is caused by the release of a virus sequestered in our genes which is released under certain factors of social stress. Mr. Bear releases this information slowly which makes the book move very slowly at the beginning. The story line varies off the central theme on many occasions with the variations having no true significance to the story line. For instance, there's an irrational act of terrorism that results in the death of the president. The act portrays the chaos happening in the government and society, but could have been left out with no effect upon the story. There is a need to learn a large number of names of people that are significant to the story who appear, leave and reappear. You must not only learn their last names, but their first names, as they will frequently be mentioned alternately by either name. For instance, who is Sam? There is a lot of technical jargon which requires a dictionary to truly understand, but interestingly, the story can be read without an understanding as the jargon is not truly necessary to the storyline. Much of the story addresses an interplay between the academic field, research, and the government. There's also some discussion of private or corporate financing. The story also touches upon the effect of religion upon society. These various social issues are interestingly addressed and included in the storyline. Although the book starts agonizingly slowly, it builds to the point that I began finding it hard to put the book down. The ending, however, is a non-ending. It's more like a break between between the numerous episodes that have already occurred, and the next episode.
    4 people found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • sf_hound
    5.0 out of 5 stars Disease or Evolutionary Sea Change
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 10, 2013
    If, as some believe, evolution occurs in rapid bursts, how would humans know when it's happening to them and what would it look like. Bear does a superb job of telling this tale from the top down (i.e. from the point of view of those responsible for the decisions such changes would invoke). The story is tight, compelling, thought-provoking and told with his customary care for the biological science involved. It also strikes me as a far more mature re-examination of many of the themes raised in Blood Dance. If you're a Greg Bear fan, this is a must.

    sf_hound
  • scifiharlekin
    5.0 out of 5 stars ein sozialkritischer Wissenschaftskrimi
    Reviewed in Germany on April 12, 2002
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Lassen wir mal beiseite, dass der Schreibstil in Ordnung ist und der Author auch in angenehmer Weise fachliche Kompetenz zeigt.
    In der ersten Haelfte entwickelt sich das Buch wie ein Krimi mit mehreren parallelen Handlungsstraengen. Allerdings recht konventionell im Muster aehnlicher Romane: sensationelle Funde werden gemacht und Wissenschaftler wittern Ruhm und Ehre. Selbst der 'boese Reiche' der den Ruhm an sich reissen will scheint nicht zu fehlen.
    In der zweiten Haelfte tritt das Thriller-Element jedoch leicht in den Hintergrund. Der Roman beginnt ganz nebenbei die Auswirkungen der Entdeckung fuer die Menschheit zu diskutieren indem er die Gesellschaft in zwei Lager spaltet: konservative Ablehnung und nahezu blinde Begeisterung - ohne jedoch in Schwarzweiss-Malerei zu verfallen...
    Der Leser kommt auf jeden Fall auf seine Kosten - ohne in den Zwang zu geraten persoenlich Stellung zu beziehen. Das Buch ist spannend bis zum Schluss - der Ausgang ist keineswegs vorherzusehen und die zugrundeliegende Idee faszinierend und gut ausgearbeitet. Fazit: empfehlenswerte kurzweilige Unterhaltung mit Tiefgang als Bonus.
  • Kevin Fifield
    5.0 out of 5 stars The best kind of fiction, engrossing read that makes you think
    Reviewed in Canada on November 7, 2018
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Bear's ability to draw you into the story and make you care about the characters is never overshadowed by the science aspects of the story. His characters feel like real people. There are no paragons of virtue, not any blatantly evil. Just people trying to figure out their new world.
  • ながぴい
    5.0 out of 5 stars みんなの評価は低いが、俺は好き
    Reviewed in Japan on December 23, 2011
    今時珍しいミュータントもの。
    不気味な新人類は迫害される、というのが定番。
    スランを思い出す。
    ただ、この本の新人類は超能力は使えない。
    地味なので、あまり売れてないのでは?
    でも、わしゃ好き。

    この本はおそらく「ウィルス進化説」を取り入れているので、
    そういう意味ではトンデモ理論を肯定していることになる(?)

    たしか、続編も読んだ。
    ん〜、Darwin's Childrenはいらなかったかな。
    Stella Novaの運命は未知のままで終わらせておいたほうがよかったな。
    "Did we make it again, Mitch?"
  • Client d'Amazon
    5.0 out of 5 stars Greg Bear's best book
    Reviewed in France on November 29, 2017
    Format: Mass Market PaperbackVerified Purchase
    In my humble opinion, this is Bear's best novel. Much of the science he describes, e.g. the role of HERVs in our genome, or the interbreeding of Neanderthals with Homo Sapiens, was either state-of-the-art at the time he wrote it, or has been proven true (or at least plausible) subsequently.
    The intrigue is sufficiently complex to keep you wondering to the last page, and the characters have genuine substance. Contrary to some other Sci-Fi novels, Bear's included, the plot and settings have the kind of adequate balance between actuality and anticipation of a plausible future that makes you think that something like it could really happen tomorrow, or next year, or in a not so distant future. The story continues in a second novel, Darwin's Children, that is quite good too, though not as good as this one. But you will want to read it because it's a damned good story.