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Cauchemar génétique
Le docteur Guy Carson est flatté quand Gene Dyne, le patron de son laboratoire, l'informe qu'il a été choisi pour rejoindre le laboratoire du Mont-Dragon, dans le désert de Jornada au Nouveau-Mexique. S'il parvient à isoler le virus de la grippe, Gene Dyne pourra se vanter d'avoir sauvé des millions de vies humaines et accessoirement s'assurer une immense fortune. Mais la thérapie génique n'est pas sans danger. Carson va découvrir que les manipulations de ses collègues ont entraîné la mutation du virus, devenu maintenant plus dangereux qu'une bombe atomique. En outre, toute l'équipe de recherche est en train de devenir furieusement paranoïaque...
576 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
565 people are currently reading
5896 people want to read
About the author
Douglas Preston
185 books13.6k followersDouglas Preston was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1956, and grew up in the deadly boring suburb of Wellesley. Following a distinguished career at a private nursery school--he was almost immediately expelled--he attended public schools and the Cambridge School of Weston. Notable events in his early life included the loss of a fingertip at the age of three to a bicycle; the loss of his two front teeth to his brother Richard's fist; and various broken bones, also incurred in dust-ups with Richard. (Richard went on to write The Hot Zone and The Cobra Event, which tells you all you need to know about what it was like to grow up with him as a brother.)
As they grew up, Doug, Richard, and their little brother David roamed the quiet suburbs of Wellesley, terrorizing the natives with home-made rockets and incendiary devices mail-ordered from the backs of comic books or concocted from chemistry sets. With a friend they once attempted to fly a rocket into Wellesley Square; the rocket malfunctioned and nearly killed a man mowing his lawn. They were local celebrities, often appearing in the "Police Notes" section of The Wellesley Townsman. It is a miracle they survived childhood intact.
After unaccountably being rejected by Stanford University (a pox on it), Preston attended Pomona College in Claremont, California, where he studied mathematics, biology, physics, anthropology, chemistry, geology, and astronomy before settling down to English literature. After graduating, Preston began his career at the American Museum of Natural History in New York as an editor, writer, and eventually manager of publications. (Preston also taught writing at Princeton University and was managing editor of Curator.) His eight-year stint at the Museum resulted in the non-fiction book, Dinosaurs in the Attic, edited by a rising young star at St. Martin's Press, a polymath by the name of Lincoln Child. During this period, Preston gave Child a midnight tour of the museum, and in the darkened Hall of Late Dinosaurs, under a looming T. Rex, Child turned to Preston and said: "This would make the perfect setting for a thriller!" That thriller would, of course, be Relic.
In 1986, Douglas Preston piled everything he owned into the back of a Subaru and moved from New York City to Santa Fe to write full time, following the advice of S. J. Perelman that "the dubious privilege of a freelance writer is he's given the freedom to starve anywhere." After the requisite period of penury, Preston achieved a small success with the publication of Cities of Gold, a non-fiction book about Coronado's search for the legendary Seven Cities of Cibola. To research the book, Preston and a friend retraced on horseback 1,000 miles of Coronado's route across Arizona and New Mexico, packing their supplies and sleeping under the stars--nearly killing themselves in the process. Since then he has published several more non-fiction books on the history of the American Southwest, Talking to the Ground and The Royal Road, as well as a novel entitled Jennie. In the early 1990s Preston and Child teamed up to write suspense novels; Relic was the first, followed by several others, including Riptide and Thunderhead. Relic was released as a motion picture by Paramount in 1997. Other films are under development at Hollywood studios. Preston and Child live 500 miles apart and write their books together via telephone, fax, and the Internet.
Preston and his brother Richard are currently producing a television miniseries for ABC and Mandalay Entertainment, to be aired in the spring of 2000, if all goes well, which in Hollywood is rarely the case.
Preston continues a magazine writing career by contributing regularly to The New Yorker magazine. He has also written for National Geographic, Natural History, Smithsonisan, Harper's,and Travel & Leisure,among others.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/dougla...
As they grew up, Doug, Richard, and their little brother David roamed the quiet suburbs of Wellesley, terrorizing the natives with home-made rockets and incendiary devices mail-ordered from the backs of comic books or concocted from chemistry sets. With a friend they once attempted to fly a rocket into Wellesley Square; the rocket malfunctioned and nearly killed a man mowing his lawn. They were local celebrities, often appearing in the "Police Notes" section of The Wellesley Townsman. It is a miracle they survived childhood intact.
After unaccountably being rejected by Stanford University (a pox on it), Preston attended Pomona College in Claremont, California, where he studied mathematics, biology, physics, anthropology, chemistry, geology, and astronomy before settling down to English literature. After graduating, Preston began his career at the American Museum of Natural History in New York as an editor, writer, and eventually manager of publications. (Preston also taught writing at Princeton University and was managing editor of Curator.) His eight-year stint at the Museum resulted in the non-fiction book, Dinosaurs in the Attic, edited by a rising young star at St. Martin's Press, a polymath by the name of Lincoln Child. During this period, Preston gave Child a midnight tour of the museum, and in the darkened Hall of Late Dinosaurs, under a looming T. Rex, Child turned to Preston and said: "This would make the perfect setting for a thriller!" That thriller would, of course, be Relic.
In 1986, Douglas Preston piled everything he owned into the back of a Subaru and moved from New York City to Santa Fe to write full time, following the advice of S. J. Perelman that "the dubious privilege of a freelance writer is he's given the freedom to starve anywhere." After the requisite period of penury, Preston achieved a small success with the publication of Cities of Gold, a non-fiction book about Coronado's search for the legendary Seven Cities of Cibola. To research the book, Preston and a friend retraced on horseback 1,000 miles of Coronado's route across Arizona and New Mexico, packing their supplies and sleeping under the stars--nearly killing themselves in the process. Since then he has published several more non-fiction books on the history of the American Southwest, Talking to the Ground and The Royal Road, as well as a novel entitled Jennie. In the early 1990s Preston and Child teamed up to write suspense novels; Relic was the first, followed by several others, including Riptide and Thunderhead. Relic was released as a motion picture by Paramount in 1997. Other films are under development at Hollywood studios. Preston and Child live 500 miles apart and write their books together via telephone, fax, and the Internet.
Preston and his brother Richard are currently producing a television miniseries for ABC and Mandalay Entertainment, to be aired in the spring of 2000, if all goes well, which in Hollywood is rarely the case.
Preston continues a magazine writing career by contributing regularly to The New Yorker magazine. He has also written for National Geographic, Natural History, Smithsonisan, Harper's,and Travel & Leisure,among others.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/dougla...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 539 reviews
December 12, 2017
One of the distinct pleasures of reading mass market thrillers of the 1990s is the studied hyperventilating of the passages about computers and digital technology. Authors can't seem to not document every prosaic "keystroke" "typed" by a character.
"He typed a few brief commands...and waited while the files were copied to the laptop's hard disk. Then he loaded Burt's notes into the laptop's word processor."
"He initiated the upload with a few keystrokes, and an access light on the terminal's faceplate lit up."
Isn't that delightful? It's like coming across a novel where everyone wears a fanny pack.
Another theme indicating this is a novel not quite of our current time is the relentless fat-shaming of a 250 lb. female scientist (everyone is working on deadly viruses in a remote, isolated desert locale, lots of airlocks, decontamination chambers, biosuits). The company boss and all her colleagues constantly chuckle ruefully about how large and unattractive she is. The book's hero calls her a "walking chuck wagon."
In spite of this, the plot is interesting until the two-thirds mark, when the hero and his hot nonfat assistant are forced to set off into the desert on horseback with limited water, pursued by a killer. This alternates with the tedious detailing of the evil company CEO's creation of a virtual reality universe (he calls it "cypherspace") which his nemesis is trying to penetrate.
Almost done here with my keystrokes....loading this into GR' word processor, about to click "save" and watch as the next page loads.
May 11, 2022
If I had read this book when it first came out, I would have missed out on their intriguing Pendergast series. The degree of fat shaming and misogyny is appalling. That they thought it was a good idea to pour these traits into their protagonist says a lot about the authors. The last act of the book was a yawn fest and just plain ridiculous. I've read most of their books, but this is most likely my last.
November 13, 2016
Great story - fun read. I especially love the last part, in the desert, travelling by horse... I don't want to give spoilers, but all I can say is that their experience truly seems like torture.
May 8, 2024
2.60 stars
I’m starting to think these authors are not for me. The only book I have really liked is Relic. The rest have been a little boring and slow. I enjoyed the characters of Carson and deVaca. The last half of the book got really slow and repetitive. After a great first half, it was just disappointing that the second half was such a let down. I love all of the premises of their books but it just seems like a whole lot of science jargon, with a repetitiveness for page filler.
I’m starting to think these authors are not for me. The only book I have really liked is Relic. The rest have been a little boring and slow. I enjoyed the characters of Carson and deVaca. The last half of the book got really slow and repetitive. After a great first half, it was just disappointing that the second half was such a let down. I love all of the premises of their books but it just seems like a whole lot of science jargon, with a repetitiveness for page filler.
November 8, 2018
I was really excited for the premise of this one, since I've loved other books by these authors, and I am such a sucker for pandemic stories.
But the main character was such a massive twat!!
He called a woman a bitch after knowing her for two minutes because she was adamant about enforcing level 5 biohazard protocols, he and other characters continuously called the only fat character in the book "a walking chunk" and "a mountain of adipose", and immediately went on a rambling and offensive rant about how "he used to have MExican friends when he was little" and "where are you REALLY from?" and "Mexicans are so hard working!" during his very first conversation with the Latina love interest.
And I DNFed it at 15%.
Massively disappointing.
It only gets to keep it's second star because it was engaging, and if the MC wasn't such a massive butthole, I would have kept going.
But the main character was such a massive twat!!
He called a woman a bitch after knowing her for two minutes because she was adamant about enforcing level 5 biohazard protocols, he and other characters continuously called the only fat character in the book "a walking chunk" and "a mountain of adipose", and immediately went on a rambling and offensive rant about how "he used to have MExican friends when he was little" and "where are you REALLY from?" and "Mexicans are so hard working!" during his very first conversation with the Latina love interest.
And I DNFed it at 15%.
Massively disappointing.
It only gets to keep it's second star because it was engaging, and if the MC wasn't such a massive butthole, I would have kept going.
March 13, 2015
Yikes. And that second star is because I'm trying HARD to give it the benefit of the doubt. I understand that this book addressed issues that are evolving at a mind-boggling rate, and this book is two decades old. That being said, even if you look past the alarmist rhetoric and downright wonky notions of technology, it was still lumbering, unfocused, and at times downright goofy. Oh, and don't forget about the blatant misogyny. In this world, women in science and technology are either beautiful but bitchy assistants who eventually get sexed out of their bad moods by a bland cowboy hero, or overweight and aggressive cold fishes who, when the chips are down, just can't hold their shit together. I wish I'd have skipped this one.
December 4, 2015
As entertaining and exciting as all Preston Child books! Great characters, fun plot and always interesting to read. I would recommend it
June 9, 2016
Many of us have dreamed about the CEO of a huge company personally taking interest in us and suddenly removing us from our lowly and often-demeaning jobs within the company and then giving us the ultimate opportunity to give middle management oppressors the virtual finger, so to speak. Well this very thing happened to Carson, a genetic scientist with a Ph.D. who had been working at insignificant tasks as a lower rung lab assistant with no hope of promotion under an extremely petty and insignificant boss.
Well now Guy Carson was on his way to bigger and better things at a highly research lab called Mount Dragon where scientists are presumably working on genetic cures for highly virulent and contagious viruses. The security is top-notch and nothing could ever go wrong and release biological doomsday onto an unsuspecting world population.
Or could it?
I loved the concept of this book even before starting to read it and ended up liking the characters and the story a lot too. I only wish the characters had been a bit more developed because there were aspects of their personalities that I felt would have been strengthened with more expansion, and that would have made certain plot events even more meaningful. Still, this book was one of the author's earlier releases and it seems that they have been improving in this area. I also appreciated that the book is a standalone effort. (Though I've been told that a character from this book makes a minor appearance in a later Pendergast book.)
Well now Guy Carson was on his way to bigger and better things at a highly research lab called Mount Dragon where scientists are presumably working on genetic cures for highly virulent and contagious viruses. The security is top-notch and nothing could ever go wrong and release biological doomsday onto an unsuspecting world population.
Or could it?
I loved the concept of this book even before starting to read it and ended up liking the characters and the story a lot too. I only wish the characters had been a bit more developed because there were aspects of their personalities that I felt would have been strengthened with more expansion, and that would have made certain plot events even more meaningful. Still, this book was one of the author's earlier releases and it seems that they have been improving in this area. I also appreciated that the book is a standalone effort. (Though I've been told that a character from this book makes a minor appearance in a later Pendergast book.)
October 9, 2019
A research scientist is sent to a remote research facility to finish the project of a scientist that went insane and killed himself.
The facility is a den of secrets, but the CEO is watching them almost every second via computers and cameras. The pressure is enormous, and the projects keep failing. Then more and more people go insane.
Not bad, but perhaps not one of the authors' best works.
The facility is a den of secrets, but the CEO is watching them almost every second via computers and cameras. The pressure is enormous, and the projects keep failing. Then more and more people go insane.
Not bad, but perhaps not one of the authors' best works.
December 24, 2021
Not a bad read, just not their best.
I wasn't as enamored by this book as much as others by these authors. It had plenty of mystery and a touch of mysticism about it, but it took me awhile to get into it. It just doesn't have the same "oomph" that the Pendergast series has.
I wasn't as enamored by this book as much as others by these authors. It had plenty of mystery and a touch of mysticism about it, but it took me awhile to get into it. It just doesn't have the same "oomph" that the Pendergast series has.
December 9, 2013
-Tecnothriller corporativo.-
Género. Ciencia-Ficción (aunque por poco).
Lo que nos cuenta. En el complejo sanitario de Featherwood Park ingresa el Doctor Franklin Burt, eminencia en Biología Molecular que actualmente trabaja en una instalación apartada de la empresa GeneDyne en Monte Dragón, tras un aparente caso de psicosis fulminante que parece ser debida a un accidente que implicó un vaso de precipitados roto y PCP sintético. Guy Carson es un empleado de GeneDyne al que el mismísimo fundador de la compañía le ofrece colaborar en un proyecto confidencial que se lleva a cabo en las instalaciones de alta seguridad de Monte Dragón, en Nuevo México, dentro de una zona militar. Guy acepta y se convertirá en el sustituto del Doctor Burt.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
Género. Ciencia-Ficción (aunque por poco).
Lo que nos cuenta. En el complejo sanitario de Featherwood Park ingresa el Doctor Franklin Burt, eminencia en Biología Molecular que actualmente trabaja en una instalación apartada de la empresa GeneDyne en Monte Dragón, tras un aparente caso de psicosis fulminante que parece ser debida a un accidente que implicó un vaso de precipitados roto y PCP sintético. Guy Carson es un empleado de GeneDyne al que el mismísimo fundador de la compañía le ofrece colaborar en un proyecto confidencial que se lleva a cabo en las instalaciones de alta seguridad de Monte Dragón, en Nuevo México, dentro de una zona militar. Guy acepta y se convertirá en el sustituto del Doctor Burt.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
October 18, 2018
5 días y 554 páginas después. El segundo libro que leo de Child, pero el primero de Preston.
Un antiguo habitante de mi biblioteca, probablemente fue uno de los más antiguos que llevaba sin leer. Debido a que quería darle continuidad a la ciencia ficción del círculo decidí seguir con este y funcionó...o algo así.
La trama es sencilla, se quiere desarrollar la cura para no tener gripe nunca más, y así evitar miles de virus que aquejan a la humanidad. ¿Filantrópico, eh? Pues es solo el pretexto para tejer algo más grande...
Me gustan mucho los libros de sci fi, este tipo de emoción me agrada bastante, y por lo regular los devoro a la brevedad, porque no son tan complicados, y te enganchan solitos. Pues justamente sucedió esto en las primeras partes del libro, pero pronto se vuelve demasiado abultado para poder ser excelente. No digo que esté mal. Cumple con la función de darte paranoia continua y dejarte pensando qué pasaría si ...?
El final es demasiadoooooo largo y exhaustivo, y justamente en esta parte es donde se pierde todo lo bueno construido, se quiere salir del planteamiento de sci fi para ser una historia de vaqueros. Claro que te entretiene, pero, sin tantísimo background hubiera sido mejor.
Los personajes son bastante duales, hay algunos que amas, unos que odias, y otros que te agradaron, pero no sabes nada. Se descuida a los personajes para darle peso a las situaciones, y bueno, seguimos siendo parte del mundo humano.
No es un mal libro, me generó las ganas de acabarlo en pocos días, pero definitivamente no es el mejor. Siempre estuvo en cinco estrellas, pero la parte final lo asesina.
Habrá reseña. Hoy.
Un antiguo habitante de mi biblioteca, probablemente fue uno de los más antiguos que llevaba sin leer. Debido a que quería darle continuidad a la ciencia ficción del círculo decidí seguir con este y funcionó...o algo así.
La trama es sencilla, se quiere desarrollar la cura para no tener gripe nunca más, y así evitar miles de virus que aquejan a la humanidad. ¿Filantrópico, eh? Pues es solo el pretexto para tejer algo más grande...
Me gustan mucho los libros de sci fi, este tipo de emoción me agrada bastante, y por lo regular los devoro a la brevedad, porque no son tan complicados, y te enganchan solitos. Pues justamente sucedió esto en las primeras partes del libro, pero pronto se vuelve demasiado abultado para poder ser excelente. No digo que esté mal. Cumple con la función de darte paranoia continua y dejarte pensando qué pasaría si ...?
El final es demasiadoooooo largo y exhaustivo, y justamente en esta parte es donde se pierde todo lo bueno construido, se quiere salir del planteamiento de sci fi para ser una historia de vaqueros. Claro que te entretiene, pero, sin tantísimo background hubiera sido mejor.
Los personajes son bastante duales, hay algunos que amas, unos que odias, y otros que te agradaron, pero no sabes nada. Se descuida a los personajes para darle peso a las situaciones, y bueno, seguimos siendo parte del mundo humano.
No es un mal libro, me generó las ganas de acabarlo en pocos días, pero definitivamente no es el mejor. Siempre estuvo en cinco estrellas, pero la parte final lo asesina.
Habrá reseña. Hoy.
October 7, 2025
Just plain boring.
This is a formulaic story about genetic germ scientists working on a solution to a problem, and something goes wrong because of course it does. You’re read this before, I’ve read this before, but this one doesn’t work very well.
We meet one of the GeneDyne scientists in the prologue. He’s being delivered to the nuthouse. We find out that he was keeping a private journal right before he lost his marbles. So when this is found it’s a good opportunity to show the readers what led to the madness. Preston and Child do this, but just barely. In the journal entries, its just barely hinted that the scientist was losing it. They chose “less is more” when this book could really have used MORE.
There’s a subplot with a university professor trying to shut down the gene lab. He’s clashing with the head of GeneDyne, a hip-entrepreneur type. So his Hipness has about had it with the professor and sets up the media to do a tell-all on the guy. Riveting, ain’t it?
Maybe some of this gets better but I quit at 200 pages.
This is a formulaic story about genetic germ scientists working on a solution to a problem, and something goes wrong because of course it does. You’re read this before, I’ve read this before, but this one doesn’t work very well.
We meet one of the GeneDyne scientists in the prologue. He’s being delivered to the nuthouse. We find out that he was keeping a private journal right before he lost his marbles. So when this is found it’s a good opportunity to show the readers what led to the madness. Preston and Child do this, but just barely. In the journal entries, its just barely hinted that the scientist was losing it. They chose “less is more” when this book could really have used MORE.
There’s a subplot with a university professor trying to shut down the gene lab. He’s clashing with the head of GeneDyne, a hip-entrepreneur type. So his Hipness has about had it with the professor and sets up the media to do a tell-all on the guy. Riveting, ain’t it?
Maybe some of this gets better but I quit at 200 pages.
November 3, 2019
This book reads almost like the "Hot Zone." Probably because Douglas Preston is the brother of Richard Preston (the author of Hot Zone.)
Some pretty scary stuff -- genetically engineered viruses. If you've read the "Hot Zone," you'll probably like this book.
Some pretty scary stuff -- genetically engineered viruses. If you've read the "Hot Zone," you'll probably like this book.
May 4, 2015
I like most of the Pendergast novels by Preston and Child... this isn't one.
It's a competent effort and readable about the risks of genetic experiments and what we may do to ourselves. I didn't find it particularly memorable...but as I said, not a bad read.
The scene that sticks particularly in my mind
It's a competent effort and readable about the risks of genetic experiments and what we may do to ourselves. I didn't find it particularly memorable...but as I said, not a bad read.
The scene that sticks particularly in my mind
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 3, 2020
Outstanding!
I was astonished at the intellect it took to write this book. I loved everything about it and there was never a dull moment! A definite must read...
I was astonished at the intellect it took to write this book. I loved everything about it and there was never a dull moment! A definite must read...
March 6, 2026
3,5/5 ⭐
Nederlands / Dutch:
GeneDyne is een farmaceutisch concern dat, onder leiding van Brent Scopes, al enkele nieuwe revoluties op medisch vlak heeft verwezenlijkt. Eén daarvan is een synthetisch bloed dat binnenkort zal uitgerold worden om het bloedtekort in bloedbanken aan te vullen zodat iedereen kans maakt op bloedtransfusies.
Intussen heeft GeneDyne filialen over het ganse continent en een onderzoekscentrum in de woestijn van New Mexico, waar de meest briljante genetici experimenteren met het meest voorkomende virus ter wereld: het griepvirus. Wetenschappers hebben namelijk een nieuwe, dodelijkere versie van het virus ontwikkeld en nu moet een remedie worden gevonden. GeneDyne ziet alvast heel veel winst in dit nieuwe virus én de remedie. De manier om de remedie te ontwikkelen is dankzij het manipuleren van het menselijk DNA.
Guy Carson, een jonge ambitieuze wetenschapper, wordt naar de GeneDyne woestijnfaciliteit gehaald om er het werk over te nemen van een wetenschapper die helemaal gek is geworden door de isolatie en het geestdodend werk. Ook Guy moet wennen hieraan maar vliegt er onmiddellijk in. Zijn komst werkt niet onmiddellijk stimulerend, vooral niet omdat de andere collega's niet allemaal heel open zijn en tevreden over zijn komst. Carson concentreert zich compleet op het werk maar dan ontdekt hij enkele bizarre ontwikkelingen in het virus en in het onderzoek van zijn voorganger. Al snel wordt duidelijk dat X-Flu een groter killervirus kan zijn dan oorspronkelijk gedacht. Samen met zijn assistente, Susana Cabeza de Vaca, zal hij zich moeten zien te redden uit een quasi onmogelijke situatie, terwijl hun leven en dat van hun collega's in de faciliteit op het spel staan. Maar ook de rest van de wereld loopt groot gevaar!
GeneDyne krijgt ook heel wat weerstand van Charles Levine, een vroegere vriend en studiegenoot van Brent Scopes. Samen met de hulp van de illustere Mime, een computerhacker, tracht hij binnen te dringen in GeneDynes beveiliging om de gevaren van Scopes' onderzoek aan te kaarten, wat zal leiden tot een aanvaring tussen beide heren.
Virus (Mount Dragon) is het tweede boek dat de beide heren samen schreven (na 'Vloek van het Oerwoud' of ook bekend als 'Relic') en je merkt op dat dit boek nog een duidelijke eerste oefening is van beide heren in het genre van de techno-thriller. Ze treden in de voetsporen van Michael Crichton, die het genre zowat uitvond, maar met 'Virus' bereiken ze zeker nog niet de kwaliteit die ze later met andere boeken wel zullen behalen. En toch is dit ook een heel spannende thriller die zich op vele vlakken afspeelt. Er is het farmaceutische concern, de technologische vooruitgang (dit boek werd in 1996 geschreven maar voelt heel modern aan) en de locatie in de woestijn in New Mexico (een locatie waar de schrijvers graag naar terugkeren, ook de Anasazi-indianen komen later nog aan bod in één van hun boeken). Deze combinatie en de overleving skills van Carson terwijl ze achtervolgd worden door een meedogenloze, dolgedraaide moordenaar zorgt sowieso voor een heel spannend tweede deel van het boek.
Wat wel moet gezegd worden over het boek is hoe vooruitstrevend het boek op zich al was, zeker aangezien het dertig jaar geleden voor het eerst werd gepubliceerd. Er is al sprake van A.I. (een thema dat tegenwoordig heel actueel is), het manipuleren van DNA (tegenwoordig beter gekend als CRISPR) en een killervirus, waar we een aantal jaar geleden zelf ook kennis mee hebben gemaakt. En hoewel dat laatste zeker niet nieuw is (de geschiedenis staat bol van de pandemieën) voelt het wel profetisch aan dat een virus een gevaar vormt voor de wereldbevolking.
Zoals ik al zei, het boek is dertig jaar oud en het zal ongeveer ook zo lang geleden zijn dat ik het las. Samen met een groepje (her)lezen we de boeken van beide heren met het personage Aloysius X.L. Pendergast in de hoofdrol. Ook deze reeks ben ik ooit begonnen maar na boek 9 ben ik jammer genoeg gestopt met lezen (ik ben ze wel blijven kopen) dus was dit het ideale moment om de reeks eindelijk eens opnieuw te herontdekken. Maar ik ben dan natuurlijk zo obsessief dat ik alle boeken van de auteurs, in volgorde van uitgave, wil lezen. Daar heb ik ook een goede reden voor want de boeken van Preston & Child hebben altijd een link met elkaar, vaak door een personage. Wat ik echter niet (meer) wist was dat ook 'Virus' een kleine link heeft, namelijk het personage 'Mime', de hacker. Deze komt ook voor in de Pendergast-boeken. Dus rouw ik er zeker niet om dat ik ook dit boek heb herlezen. Het volgende dat klaarligt is dus Relic (Vloek van het Oerwoud), de start van een reeks boeken waar ik heel hard naar uitkijk, ook om de liefde voor het personage Pendergast met andere mensen te kunnen delen.
English:
GeneDyne is a pharmaceutical corporation that, under the leadership of Brent Scopes, has already achieved several groundbreaking medical innovations. One of these is a synthetic blood that will soon be introduced to help address shortages in blood banks, ensuring that more people will have access to life-saving transfusions.
In the meantime, GeneDyne has established branches across the entire continent, as well as a research facility in the desert of New Mexico. There, some of the world’s most brilliant geneticists are experimenting with the most common virus on Earth: the influenza virus. Scientists have developed a new, more lethal strain, and now a cure must be found. GeneDyne, however, already sees enormous profit potential in both the virus and its cure. The key to developing that cure lies in manipulating human DNA.
Guy Carson, a young and ambitious scientist, is brought to the GeneDyne desert facility to take over the work of a researcher who has gone completely insane due to the isolation and the mind-numbing nature of the work. Guy also needs time to adjust to the environment, but he immediately throws himself into the project. His arrival, however, is not warmly welcomed—many of his colleagues are far from open or pleased about his presence. Carson focuses entirely on the research, but soon he discovers several disturbing irregularities in the virus and in the work left behind by his predecessor. It quickly becomes clear that X-Flu may be a far more dangerous killer virus than originally anticipated.
Together with his assistant, Susana Cabeza de Vaca, Carson must try to survive an almost impossible situation, as their lives—and those of their colleagues in the facility—are put at risk. But the danger does not stop there: the rest of the world may also be facing a catastrophic threat.
GeneDyne also encounters resistance from Charles Levine, a former friend and fellow student of Brent Scopes. With the help of the mysterious computer hacker known as Mime, he attempts to infiltrate GeneDyne’s security systems to expose the dangers of Scopes’ research. This inevitably leads to a confrontation between the two men.
Mount Dragon is the second book written together by the authors (following Relic). It is noticeable that this novel still feels like an early step for both writers in the techno-thriller genre. They clearly follow in the footsteps of Michael Crichton, who more or less pioneered the genre, but with Virus they have not yet reached the level of quality they would achieve in their later works. Even so, it remains a very exciting thriller that unfolds on multiple levels. The story blends the world of pharmaceutical corporations, rapid technological progress (the book was written in 1996 but still feels surprisingly modern), and the stark desert setting of New Mexico—a location the authors clearly enjoy revisiting. The Anasazi Indians, for example, will appear again in one of their later novels. This combination, together with Carson’s desperate struggle for survival while being pursued by a ruthless, deranged killer, makes the second half of the book particularly gripping.
What also stands out is just how forward-thinking the novel was, especially considering it was first published thirty years ago. It already touches on themes such as artificial intelligence (a subject that is extremely relevant today), the manipulation of DNA (now better known as CRISPR), and a deadly virus—something the world itself has experienced in recent years. While pandemics are certainly nothing new in human history, it still feels somewhat prophetic to read about a virus posing such a global threat.
As I mentioned, the book is thirty years old, and it has probably been just as long since I last read it. Together with a small group, I am currently (re)reading the novels by the two authors featuring the character Aloysius X. L. Pendergast in the lead role. I once started the series myself but unfortunately stopped after book nine (although I did continue buying the later volumes). This seemed like the perfect opportunity to rediscover the series from the beginning. Of course, I am a bit obsessive about these things, so I prefer to read all of the authors’ books in order of publication. There is also a good reason for that: Preston & Child’s novels are often connected to one another, frequently through recurring characters. What I had forgotten was that Mount Dragon also has a small connection to the Pendergast series through the character Mime, the hacker, who appears there as well. For that reason alone, I certainly do not regret rereading this novel.
The next book waiting for me is Relic, the start of a series I am very much looking forward to revisiting, not least because it will give me the chance to share my appreciation for the character Pendergast with others.
Nederlands / Dutch:
GeneDyne is een farmaceutisch concern dat, onder leiding van Brent Scopes, al enkele nieuwe revoluties op medisch vlak heeft verwezenlijkt. Eén daarvan is een synthetisch bloed dat binnenkort zal uitgerold worden om het bloedtekort in bloedbanken aan te vullen zodat iedereen kans maakt op bloedtransfusies.
Intussen heeft GeneDyne filialen over het ganse continent en een onderzoekscentrum in de woestijn van New Mexico, waar de meest briljante genetici experimenteren met het meest voorkomende virus ter wereld: het griepvirus. Wetenschappers hebben namelijk een nieuwe, dodelijkere versie van het virus ontwikkeld en nu moet een remedie worden gevonden. GeneDyne ziet alvast heel veel winst in dit nieuwe virus én de remedie. De manier om de remedie te ontwikkelen is dankzij het manipuleren van het menselijk DNA.
Guy Carson, een jonge ambitieuze wetenschapper, wordt naar de GeneDyne woestijnfaciliteit gehaald om er het werk over te nemen van een wetenschapper die helemaal gek is geworden door de isolatie en het geestdodend werk. Ook Guy moet wennen hieraan maar vliegt er onmiddellijk in. Zijn komst werkt niet onmiddellijk stimulerend, vooral niet omdat de andere collega's niet allemaal heel open zijn en tevreden over zijn komst. Carson concentreert zich compleet op het werk maar dan ontdekt hij enkele bizarre ontwikkelingen in het virus en in het onderzoek van zijn voorganger. Al snel wordt duidelijk dat X-Flu een groter killervirus kan zijn dan oorspronkelijk gedacht. Samen met zijn assistente, Susana Cabeza de Vaca, zal hij zich moeten zien te redden uit een quasi onmogelijke situatie, terwijl hun leven en dat van hun collega's in de faciliteit op het spel staan. Maar ook de rest van de wereld loopt groot gevaar!
GeneDyne krijgt ook heel wat weerstand van Charles Levine, een vroegere vriend en studiegenoot van Brent Scopes. Samen met de hulp van de illustere Mime, een computerhacker, tracht hij binnen te dringen in GeneDynes beveiliging om de gevaren van Scopes' onderzoek aan te kaarten, wat zal leiden tot een aanvaring tussen beide heren.
Virus (Mount Dragon) is het tweede boek dat de beide heren samen schreven (na 'Vloek van het Oerwoud' of ook bekend als 'Relic') en je merkt op dat dit boek nog een duidelijke eerste oefening is van beide heren in het genre van de techno-thriller. Ze treden in de voetsporen van Michael Crichton, die het genre zowat uitvond, maar met 'Virus' bereiken ze zeker nog niet de kwaliteit die ze later met andere boeken wel zullen behalen. En toch is dit ook een heel spannende thriller die zich op vele vlakken afspeelt. Er is het farmaceutische concern, de technologische vooruitgang (dit boek werd in 1996 geschreven maar voelt heel modern aan) en de locatie in de woestijn in New Mexico (een locatie waar de schrijvers graag naar terugkeren, ook de Anasazi-indianen komen later nog aan bod in één van hun boeken). Deze combinatie en de overleving skills van Carson terwijl ze achtervolgd worden door een meedogenloze, dolgedraaide moordenaar zorgt sowieso voor een heel spannend tweede deel van het boek.
Wat wel moet gezegd worden over het boek is hoe vooruitstrevend het boek op zich al was, zeker aangezien het dertig jaar geleden voor het eerst werd gepubliceerd. Er is al sprake van A.I. (een thema dat tegenwoordig heel actueel is), het manipuleren van DNA (tegenwoordig beter gekend als CRISPR) en een killervirus, waar we een aantal jaar geleden zelf ook kennis mee hebben gemaakt. En hoewel dat laatste zeker niet nieuw is (de geschiedenis staat bol van de pandemieën) voelt het wel profetisch aan dat een virus een gevaar vormt voor de wereldbevolking.
Zoals ik al zei, het boek is dertig jaar oud en het zal ongeveer ook zo lang geleden zijn dat ik het las. Samen met een groepje (her)lezen we de boeken van beide heren met het personage Aloysius X.L. Pendergast in de hoofdrol. Ook deze reeks ben ik ooit begonnen maar na boek 9 ben ik jammer genoeg gestopt met lezen (ik ben ze wel blijven kopen) dus was dit het ideale moment om de reeks eindelijk eens opnieuw te herontdekken. Maar ik ben dan natuurlijk zo obsessief dat ik alle boeken van de auteurs, in volgorde van uitgave, wil lezen. Daar heb ik ook een goede reden voor want de boeken van Preston & Child hebben altijd een link met elkaar, vaak door een personage. Wat ik echter niet (meer) wist was dat ook 'Virus' een kleine link heeft, namelijk het personage 'Mime', de hacker. Deze komt ook voor in de Pendergast-boeken. Dus rouw ik er zeker niet om dat ik ook dit boek heb herlezen. Het volgende dat klaarligt is dus Relic (Vloek van het Oerwoud), de start van een reeks boeken waar ik heel hard naar uitkijk, ook om de liefde voor het personage Pendergast met andere mensen te kunnen delen.
English:
GeneDyne is a pharmaceutical corporation that, under the leadership of Brent Scopes, has already achieved several groundbreaking medical innovations. One of these is a synthetic blood that will soon be introduced to help address shortages in blood banks, ensuring that more people will have access to life-saving transfusions.
In the meantime, GeneDyne has established branches across the entire continent, as well as a research facility in the desert of New Mexico. There, some of the world’s most brilliant geneticists are experimenting with the most common virus on Earth: the influenza virus. Scientists have developed a new, more lethal strain, and now a cure must be found. GeneDyne, however, already sees enormous profit potential in both the virus and its cure. The key to developing that cure lies in manipulating human DNA.
Guy Carson, a young and ambitious scientist, is brought to the GeneDyne desert facility to take over the work of a researcher who has gone completely insane due to the isolation and the mind-numbing nature of the work. Guy also needs time to adjust to the environment, but he immediately throws himself into the project. His arrival, however, is not warmly welcomed—many of his colleagues are far from open or pleased about his presence. Carson focuses entirely on the research, but soon he discovers several disturbing irregularities in the virus and in the work left behind by his predecessor. It quickly becomes clear that X-Flu may be a far more dangerous killer virus than originally anticipated.
Together with his assistant, Susana Cabeza de Vaca, Carson must try to survive an almost impossible situation, as their lives—and those of their colleagues in the facility—are put at risk. But the danger does not stop there: the rest of the world may also be facing a catastrophic threat.
GeneDyne also encounters resistance from Charles Levine, a former friend and fellow student of Brent Scopes. With the help of the mysterious computer hacker known as Mime, he attempts to infiltrate GeneDyne’s security systems to expose the dangers of Scopes’ research. This inevitably leads to a confrontation between the two men.
Mount Dragon is the second book written together by the authors (following Relic). It is noticeable that this novel still feels like an early step for both writers in the techno-thriller genre. They clearly follow in the footsteps of Michael Crichton, who more or less pioneered the genre, but with Virus they have not yet reached the level of quality they would achieve in their later works. Even so, it remains a very exciting thriller that unfolds on multiple levels. The story blends the world of pharmaceutical corporations, rapid technological progress (the book was written in 1996 but still feels surprisingly modern), and the stark desert setting of New Mexico—a location the authors clearly enjoy revisiting. The Anasazi Indians, for example, will appear again in one of their later novels. This combination, together with Carson’s desperate struggle for survival while being pursued by a ruthless, deranged killer, makes the second half of the book particularly gripping.
What also stands out is just how forward-thinking the novel was, especially considering it was first published thirty years ago. It already touches on themes such as artificial intelligence (a subject that is extremely relevant today), the manipulation of DNA (now better known as CRISPR), and a deadly virus—something the world itself has experienced in recent years. While pandemics are certainly nothing new in human history, it still feels somewhat prophetic to read about a virus posing such a global threat.
As I mentioned, the book is thirty years old, and it has probably been just as long since I last read it. Together with a small group, I am currently (re)reading the novels by the two authors featuring the character Aloysius X. L. Pendergast in the lead role. I once started the series myself but unfortunately stopped after book nine (although I did continue buying the later volumes). This seemed like the perfect opportunity to rediscover the series from the beginning. Of course, I am a bit obsessive about these things, so I prefer to read all of the authors’ books in order of publication. There is also a good reason for that: Preston & Child’s novels are often connected to one another, frequently through recurring characters. What I had forgotten was that Mount Dragon also has a small connection to the Pendergast series through the character Mime, the hacker, who appears there as well. For that reason alone, I certainly do not regret rereading this novel.
The next book waiting for me is Relic, the start of a series I am very much looking forward to revisiting, not least because it will give me the chance to share my appreciation for the character Pendergast with others.
July 4, 2010
I do not know why I never read Mount Dragon before now but I think its one of my favorite books from Preston and Child .I know I have a lot of favorites but this one really entertained me and I was talking about it to everyone I know . If you're like me and am interested in biotechnology than this is the book for you -I had heard this compared to outbreak but its nothing like that and way better . This book was a joy to read and I would recommend it to anyone who is fascinated by biology , biotechnology , and bioengineering .
Whats not to like about a bunch of scientists isolated in the desert trying to manufacture a cure for the flu by introducing a new gene into the human body . what could possibly go wrong :) - lets just say lots :)
Whats not to like about a bunch of scientists isolated in the desert trying to manufacture a cure for the flu by introducing a new gene into the human body . what could possibly go wrong :) - lets just say lots :)
May 17, 2015
Another good thriller from Preston/Child. I always enjoy their books and this one is no exception. This is a combination sci-fi/thriller/western. It includes elements of all of these genres including the main story of the development of a way to change the human genome to eliminate the possibility of getting the flu. Well, this is all good, right? But along the way a nasty mutant flu virus is manufactured that could wipe out mankind (shades of The Stand by Stephen King). This virus came about through a corporation, GeneDyne that also developed an artificial blood called PurBlood (shades of True Blood?). Thrown in with this is a chase across the New Mexican desert and a possible lost treasure. Overall, I would recommend this one.
February 22, 2012
This one is scary because it could actually happen. We never know what Pandora's Box we might open when we start tinkering with genes and DNA and the like when it comes to viruses, and this book explores one of the possibilities. It also takes a peek at the darker side of pharma companies in the 'profits over research' attitude.
Given the technology exists today to make this a reality should scare everyone, and make us all proceed with caution
Given the technology exists today to make this a reality should scare everyone, and make us all proceed with caution
May 6, 2009
Meh, a somewhat interesting sci/fi-thriller about genetic engineering gone awry. Somewhat dated - written in 1996, the conceptions of internet capability and virtual reality seem somewhat archaic, now. But still an enjoyable enough book, with some fantastic elements that seem dated and others that seem over-the-top . . .
October 23, 2017
Charges of inaccurate science and misogamy aside, this was an absolute thriller. With a little suspension of disbelief, allow yourself to be drawn into the complex plot and fascinating characters and you'll be unable to put the book down. With unrelenting pace, the book propels readers into a top secret genetic engineering lab in White Sands region, as the protagonist (specialist in viral capsules) tries to solve a genetic puzzle and decipher a series of strange happenings that point to internal sabotage. At risk for extreme viral contamination, scientists believe they're working on genetic modifications to aid humanity, but the company's top command have more nefarious goals. A mixture of cutting edge science (for the times) and pure animal survival, the story keeps you guessing until the end -- which is an unexpected act of poetic justice.
May 26, 2017
It was good and I got a kick out of seeing Mime in it, but I missed Pendergast so it just wasn't the same.
December 11, 2022
7-10
Thriller que trata sobre estudios genéticos y control de enfermedades. Tiene todos los ingredientes para mantenerte bien pegada al libro y hacer que las horas vuelen.
Thriller que trata sobre estudios genéticos y control de enfermedades. Tiene todos los ingredientes para mantenerte bien pegada al libro y hacer que las horas vuelen.
May 9, 2025
Sometimes less is more. Not my favorite. To me it seems to go off in the weeds a bit much.
November 11, 2017
Not great, but not bad either. Got a little bored, but stuck it out and finished. I have read it before...years ago, but could not remember any of it so just like reading it for the first time. Won't keep the paperback to read again though. Too many other books just waiting to be discovered.
September 19, 2018
A friend of mind shared Mount Dragon with me as the latest from Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. We agree this is probably not their best work, it is nonetheless an interesting tale. It took me a while to get over that the main character wasn't Jeremy Logan or Gideon Crew, but Guy Carson grew on me as the story developed.
Mount Dragon has a similar feel to other Preston and Child books, but that's OK with me because I enjoy their stories. They take the readers to interesting places where we meet a variety of people with incredible knowledge. With that said, the book and story aren't entirely predictable, but if you've read much from Preston and Child, many of the surprises won't be surprises at all.
I thought this was a new book when I read it and wrote the above review, and I just noticed that it's been around a long time. Doesn't change my opinion, but it does explain why it felt a little like a step backwards.
Mount Dragon has a similar feel to other Preston and Child books, but that's OK with me because I enjoy their stories. They take the readers to interesting places where we meet a variety of people with incredible knowledge. With that said, the book and story aren't entirely predictable, but if you've read much from Preston and Child, many of the surprises won't be surprises at all.
I thought this was a new book when I read it and wrote the above review, and I just noticed that it's been around a long time. Doesn't change my opinion, but it does explain why it felt a little like a step backwards.
Read
March 2, 2021Fantastic does not begin to describe this book.
Incredible and fast paced action that never lets up! Tremendous amount of research and knowledge make this a must read!
Incredible and fast paced action that never lets up! Tremendous amount of research and knowledge make this a must read!
March 21, 2015
In many ways I liked the story. The question of genetics and what can we change versus what should be change. I thoroughly enjoy a story of surviving by one's wits, as Guy and Suzanne do toward the latter half of the story.
However, there were a couple things that bothered me. Part of it was the covert and overt misogyny as well as being overweight equals negative character traits.
Guy's first boss is described as overweight and basically mean little pencil pusher of a man.
At the Mount Dragon site, there is only one scientist who is described as obese, and she's a woman. The hero of the story thinks and says disparaging comments related to her weight. Once, out loud and accidentally overly a open comm to all the scientists. I have no problem with flawed characters, as Guy is flawed, struggling with his own short temper and unsettled feelings about his family and ancestry. However, the other male scientists chuckle. Even his supervisor basically says, "Don't do it again." However, considering that this book was originally published in 1996 (IIRC), perhaps that behavior was a fairly accurate reflection of the culture.
I also couldn't get myself to think of Scopes and Levine being the same age. I could imagine Scopes as mid-30s, as I recall him being described. And yes, Scopes has obvious social stunting due to his ability to wrap himself in his own world where he gets what he wants. However, Levine is has done major work Holocaust related advocacy, and his parents were Jews harmed by the holocaust, his father not surviving. I just couldn't get it to add up, even knowing this book was written in the mid-90s.
Plus,
However, there were a couple things that bothered me. Part of it was the covert and overt misogyny as well as being overweight equals negative character traits.
Guy's first boss is described as overweight and basically mean little pencil pusher of a man.
At the Mount Dragon site, there is only one scientist who is described as obese, and she's a woman. The hero of the story thinks and says disparaging comments related to her weight. Once, out loud and accidentally overly a open comm to all the scientists. I have no problem with flawed characters, as Guy is flawed, struggling with his own short temper and unsettled feelings about his family and ancestry. However, the other male scientists chuckle. Even his supervisor basically says, "Don't do it again." However, considering that this book was originally published in 1996 (IIRC), perhaps that behavior was a fairly accurate reflection of the culture.
I also couldn't get myself to think of Scopes and Levine being the same age. I could imagine Scopes as mid-30s, as I recall him being described. And yes, Scopes has obvious social stunting due to his ability to wrap himself in his own world where he gets what he wants. However, Levine is has done major work Holocaust related advocacy, and his parents were Jews harmed by the holocaust, his father not surviving. I just couldn't get it to add up, even knowing this book was written in the mid-90s.
Plus,
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