Reviews for...

April 2004     on loan from my flat-mate, Rachel.

Contemporary SF. About Nano-technology gone awry. This book has been greeted as thrilling, gripping, and a wonderful read, but I found it only ... good. (Perhaps I've just been too distracted the past few days to focus properly.) All the techno-things were convincingly written... except for the symbiosis... which amounts to essential mind control in the end.

That leads to a strange conflict of opinions in me; I felt throughout that it wasn't all that fantastic, and would have liked to read more... New, and imaginative concepts. And then, when there Was something different, (in the person control,) I didn't approve. Perhaps I was hoping more for new, And creditable.

I had a good appreciation for the characters though. I truly liked and sympathised with the protagonist. Some of the actions of the antagonists were a little unbelievable, but... there is the Chance, that these actions were done after the symbiosis... which would explain it all. And... the book certainly was well written, and gripping. I may have finished it in one day, if I had had the time.

Not a bad author, and I would read more, so long as the central theme was interesting.

Sept. 2004     on loan from my Soprano friend Heidi.

Well now... It was years ago that I saw the film made from this book. And from what I remember of it, I'd have to say that I liked the book better. The film seemed to revolve around the Hollywood ideas, of Big Dinos, Killer instincts, and gripping, (I must admit,) suspense. Now, the book has all of that within it, but there was also much more of the Science, and the Thought, and the social/political/scientific situation -that led to the gripping suspense of Killer Dinos.

It felt much more plausible, and realistic too. (Than the film, than my expectations, and than the other book I've read: Prey.) This was very well researched, and well turned, and attention was paid to the details. The effect was that the whole was convincing, and that much more engaging.

None of the characters were attractive; they didn't draw me in, and leave me personally interested. But they were all well done, and none were flat or contrived. I guess I'd say that this didn't have a particular protagonist; I was less interested in any one (or two or three) people, as I was in the situation in general. And I'd certainly say that the book was more written about the circumstance, than about the people in it. Of course, (as I said earlier,) the book was also about the Times that gave rise to it; gene technology increasing so fast, and it's direction being unclear, as well as the tendency of our society to place importance on Amusement, and leisure activities. After all, haven't more lives been changed by the Internet, and by TV than other great achievements? Aren't there more computers used for games, and leisure communications, than for business?

At the end, there's someone being a direct mouthpiece, (of the Author's opinions?) on thoughts on Contemporary science, and it's approach to development. It tell of how we look for Mastery over nature, and fool ourselves into believing that we, pitiful, uneventful, Fleeting, we, Are truly important in the cosmic scale of things, and that we COULD indeed develop complete mastery over nature.

One thing I didn't like, was the Mathematician's model of a complex, aggregated system, and the way he claimed to analyse it, and find that the Park was pretty well doomed to failure. I wish that such mathematical analysis were possible, but I really don't feel it is; that whole piece of the story felt too far fetched to me. To put such an incomparably large system, with So Many variables, into one cohesive system, and to analyse the trends it could follow... is unreal.

The one other thing, is about the way the book ended. I can understand the narrative importance of leaving it open; that some dinosaurs Could have escaped onto the mainland, and have gone off to live deep in some jungle. That's great. It could send goose-bumps over many people, (Especially those who have Seen the jungle, and have heard strange, unearthly calls off in the foliage.) BUT... what was the deal with the whole migrating bit? Why was that dwelt on? Does it make That much of a difference, if the animals would stay in one area, or move about?

But, what am I saying? This was written by an American, For an American audience, was it not? So what the hell would Americans care if Costa Rica was over-run by killer reptiles? Hell, all of central and south America could be destroyed, without really catching the public interest. BUT... if those animals might Migrate... then they might be coming HERE! NOW it's Scary. Now the imagination starts working, and saying "What If?"

I hope that I'm just awfully prejudiced, and that there is some other reason the author made such a deal about the Dinos wanting to migrate. And that The Common American Reader is more concerned with the world at large, and not utterly wrapped up in their one little piece of things.

But I can't think of other reasons.

Well, it was a good book, which I enjoyed more than Prey. And for Thriller, and Suspense, and commentary on Scientific trends, I would recommend this work.