Helpful Score: 2
I thought this was a very good apocalyptic novel with a large helping of science thrown in. This novel was originally published in 1985 and in some ways it was very prophetic although somewhat dated. It's the story of a genetic experiment gone wrong resulting in the end of the world as we know it. The book was sometimes quite eerie to me, especially the scenes taking place in an empty New York City and a devastated World Trade Center with images very reminiscent of 9/11 including the collapse of one of the towers! The Soviet Union also plays a role in the story with a threat of nuclear attack and world domination. Overall, Bears narrative is very descriptive and suspenseful. He creates some really stunning images of the change in the world by the sentient "noocytes" or intellectual microbes created by a maverick cellular biologist. Recommend this one.