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In the tradition of the greatest cyberpunk novels, Blood Music explores the imminent destruction of mankind and the fear of mass destruction by technological advancements. Blood Music follows present-day events in which the fears concerning the nuclear annihilation of the world subsided after the Cold War and the fear of chemical warfare spilled over into the empty void of nuclear fear. An amazing breakthrough in genetic engineering made by Vergil Ulam is considered too dangerous for further research, but rather than destroy his work, he injects himself with his creation and walks out of his lab, unaware of just quite how his actions will change the world. Author Greg Bear's treatment of the traditional tale of scientific hubris is both suspenseful and a compelling portrait of a new intelligence emerging amongst us, irrevocably changing our world.
Great exploration of biotech, biochips and intelligence. I had read the Analog short-story (which was great on its own) and the novella takes it further, not necessarily in a great direction, sometimes stretching credulity but interesting nonetheless.
What an interesting story. It started a bit rough for me with a bit of the science feeling out of date. But by page 100 the story hit its stride and then it became a delightful read. Very imaginative and well worth reading. Greg Bear was certainly deserving for the accolades he received for this novel. It did have some of the feel of Stephen King’s The Stand but was much more optimistic in outlook. ( )
I'd read a few bks by Bear before this one. They were ok but this one was the one that convinced me that Bear has a far-reaching imagination. A biological researcher unleashes changes in life that speed up the paradigm shifts far faster than anything before this has ever done. Basic human form will never be the same again. This cd be taken as a warning against irresponsible biological/genetic/nanotechnology research or as a harbinger of possible changes to come that might be embraced by those who're totally sick of life as it is today. Either way, it's a fantastic novel ripe w/ implications. For those poor deluded people who somehow think that Michael Crichton's at the forefront of SF writing: Crichton's bk "Prey" (2002) is a weak version of Bear's "Blood Music" (1985). Crichton's got the moolah & the reputation but he's basically a propagandist for the status quo. Read the original! ( )
For Astrid - Luxury, necessity, obsession With all my love
First words
Each hour, a myriad of trillion of little live things - microbes, bacteria, the peasants of nature - are born and die, not counting for much except in the bulk of their numbers and the accumulation of their tiny lives.
Quotations
Last words
Nothing is lost. Nothing is forgotten. It was in the blood, the flesh, And now it is forever.
In the tradition of the greatest cyberpunk novels, Blood Music explores the imminent destruction of mankind and the fear of mass destruction by technological advancements. Blood Music follows present-day events in which the fears concerning the nuclear annihilation of the world subsided after the Cold War and the fear of chemical warfare spilled over into the empty void of nuclear fear. An amazing breakthrough in genetic engineering made by Vergil Ulam is considered too dangerous for further research, but rather than destroy his work, he injects himself with his creation and walks out of his lab, unaware of just quite how his actions will change the world. Author Greg Bear's treatment of the traditional tale of scientific hubris is both suspenseful and a compelling portrait of a new intelligence emerging amongst us, irrevocably changing our world.
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Vergil Ulam's breakthrough in genetic engineering is considered too dangerous for further research. Rather than destroy his work, he injects himself with his creation and walks out of his lab, unaware of just quite how his actions will change the world. Bear's treatment of the traditional tale of scientific hubris is suspenseful and a compelling portrait of a new intelligence emerging amongst us and changing our world irrevocably.
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