John Taine (1883–1960)

John Taine was a pseudonym for Eric Temple Bell who was a Scottish mathematician, author of a number of non-fiction books and sometime science-fiction writer. Seeds of Life published in 1951 in book form had been written some 20 years earlier and had been serialised in one of the pulp science-fiction magazines (Amazing Stories Quarterly). It is certainly an amazing story of scientists experimenting with X rays; electrically charged that could target certain aspects of mans evolution. An accident in a laboratory enhances the evolution of a lab assistant to the extent that he becomes a brilliant electrical scientist, who then goes to work on experiments that he believes will allow him to control the evolutionary process.

Neils Bork a taciturn man of Scandanavian origin is transformed into DR de Soto whose brilliant mind soon elevates him into becoming a leading scientist in his field with the ability to outsmart the money men who hope to profit from his inventions.
The story has several strands, science fiction of course, but there is also horror and social and political themes running through. It reads like a pulp fiction novel, but there are so many ideas bursting through that for once this reader wished that the author had taken more time over the writing. Still it is what it is and a good example of the genre 3.5 stars.… (more)

Don't let the introduction of this book fool you! While the front-matter is enticing and exciting, the rest of the book fails to live up to these expectations. This book manages to make an exciting topic boring and hard to suffer through via a combination of flowery, say-nothing prose and a focus on the people rather than the math.

OK, I get it -- for the most part, readers do want people stories over math, but those are not the people who are going to be reading this book. Know your audience, Eric Temple Bell. I would not recommend this book in the slightest.

If you're looking for a book that presents the history of nerdy shit well, treat yourself to "The Making of the Atomic Bomb" and skip over this drivel.… (more)