Nebula Award Finalist: A genetic engineering breakthrough may portend
the destruction of humanity in this cyberpunk novel by the author of
The Forge of God.
This Hugo and Nebula Award finalist 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 it left behind. 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 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.