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A review by ryanberger
Blood Music by Greg Bear
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
"They're not telling me anything, but I think they're sending out scouts. Hey! Astronauts!"
Rest in peace Greg Bear.
This was a ton of fun. A very trippy, fast-paced ride that goes to some uncharted places.
Be advised when you first pick up this book, you're about to be immediately cracked over the head with pages of just explaining how DNA works, but it fades pretty quickly as the real story begins. Initially, I thought we were in for another genius's vanity project to flex how much they understand about microbes and cell behavior-- but what I got was a rich, philosophical thriller wrapped in a body-horror package that John Carpenter would blush at.
Bear looks inwards, rather than outwards for his science fiction. His ideas don't come from space, they come from the bloodstream.
The entire second half of this book is a wild ride through Artificial Intelligence and spirituality. Coming back to the beginning as I flip through and collect my thoughts, I almost can't believe the book I read is the one I started at the beginning. It's such a wild contrast-- but it definitely works.
I'm very hazy on some elements of the ending, but I think there is a very healthy amount of room for interpretation. He manages to paint an abstract picture and let us decide if it's ominous or benevolent. But now I've already said too much.
As someone who has bemoaned the pacing of basically every horror novel I've ever read (though this probably leans significantly more SF--), this was brilliantly paced, aside from a few strange decisions towards the end.
He takes some big gambles with story structure as a whole and I think it mostly paid off brilliantly, with 1-2 miscues that crap out but are yanked off stage so fast it's not all that bad.
Bear has some strange moments writing women in this book. Initially, I thought he was doing "a thing" but I don't think I ended up being right. He
I'll end with my highest praise: Bear manages to invent this language of looking inward, of describing neural pathways and synapse fires as if they're almost physical spaces being traveled-- of unconscious mental processes getting their gears cleaned and it is very, very impressive. Unlike anything I've ever read in that regard.
A great read. Here's to 2023!
Rest in peace Greg Bear.
This was a ton of fun. A very trippy, fast-paced ride that goes to some uncharted places.
Be advised when you first pick up this book, you're about to be immediately cracked over the head with pages of just explaining how DNA works, but it fades pretty quickly as the real story begins. Initially, I thought we were in for another genius's vanity project to flex how much they understand about microbes and cell behavior-- but what I got was a rich, philosophical thriller wrapped in a body-horror package that John Carpenter would blush at.
Bear looks inwards, rather than outwards for his science fiction. His ideas don't come from space, they come from the bloodstream.
The entire second half of this book is a wild ride through Artificial Intelligence and spirituality. Coming back to the beginning as I flip through and collect my thoughts, I almost can't believe the book I read is the one I started at the beginning. It's such a wild contrast-- but it definitely works.
I'm very hazy on some elements of the ending, but I think there is a very healthy amount of room for interpretation. He manages to paint an abstract picture and let us decide if it's ominous or benevolent. But now I've already said too much.
As someone who has bemoaned the pacing of basically every horror novel I've ever read (though this probably leans significantly more SF--), this was brilliantly paced, aside from a few strange decisions towards the end.
He takes some big gambles with story structure as a whole and I think it mostly paid off brilliantly, with 1-2 miscues that crap out but are yanked off stage so fast it's not all that bad.
Bear has some strange moments writing women in this book. Initially, I thought he was doing "a thing" but I don't think I ended up being right. He
I'll end with my highest praise: Bear manages to invent this language of looking inward, of describing neural pathways and synapse fires as if they're almost physical spaces being traveled-- of unconscious mental processes getting their gears cleaned and it is very, very impressive. Unlike anything I've ever read in that regard.
A great read. Here's to 2023!