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Human Source Code
Imagine you could uncover exactly what lurks within your DNA, revealing the code that shapes your mind and body and using that knowledge to change yourself. Now imagine someone else making those changes instead. In Human Source Code, the hypothetical becomes reality when one organization attempts to manipulate the human code for its own terrifying purposes. Detective Klapman's attention is brought to a series of seemingly unrelated and accidental deaths after they continually turn up with a single therapist in common. Klapman's journey eventually reveals the existence of a secret international organization that is intent on manipulating the very nature of what makes us human. Can our minds truly be controlled from the inside out? Will Klapman bring this organization to light in time to save the others? Or will the organization's manipulation of human genes create the ultimate weapon? Find out in Human Source Code, the adrenaline-fueled thriller that probes readers' ideas about the power of nature versus nurture as well as the sometimes shaky ability of humans to hold their darkest desires at bay.
332 pages, Paperback
First published December 11, 2013
3 people are currently reading
201 people want to read
About the author
Lubos Borik
2 books15 followersI live with my wife and our two teenage children near Prague in the Czech Republic and when not penning drafts of manuscripts, devouring history books or playing violin — I have been fine-tuning contracts or scribbling legal advice for over a quarter of a century.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 22, 2014
A Lesser Da Vinci Code Meets Jurassic Park
Human Source Code is an interesting story idea that focuses on all of the wrong things. It aims to be an action packed thriller taking the reader into a world where a small group of scientists are able to identify genes that predict a person’s likelihood of becoming a violent social menace. Using therapists they scout victims of violence, to locate potential targets and task a cult-like group of hired assassins to work toward the greater good, by removing these threats from the gene pool. Some encounter moral dilemmas once they’ve been found out.
The writing is clear and basic, so it is a pretty fast read, but I found my mind drifting periodically. There are too many characters that are similar with ineffective transitions between them, making it confusing whose story the reader should follow or care about, and sometimes whose story they are currently reading. As a result, a lot of the quick scenes with different characters lack tension because there is no urgency and the reader is scrambling to remember who is who and why we should be following them.
I wish there had been more on the science and psychology. The cops and robbers running around Europe was not intriguing, but had the tension been focused on what the characters had the ability do and why they felt morally entitled to do it, could have been interesting. I would guess that all in charge would have qualified as kills under their own testosterone test.
This book fails the Bechdel Movie test, granted it is a book, but the same sentiment applies. There are many one bit, or one level female characters, portrayed as victims and sex objects, all introduced with a description of their shapely physiques, and little other information of import, given nothing to do but run to or from men.
At the end of this book I wondered how an author could take all of the tension and intuition out of such a fun brainy idea.
Human Source Code is an interesting story idea that focuses on all of the wrong things. It aims to be an action packed thriller taking the reader into a world where a small group of scientists are able to identify genes that predict a person’s likelihood of becoming a violent social menace. Using therapists they scout victims of violence, to locate potential targets and task a cult-like group of hired assassins to work toward the greater good, by removing these threats from the gene pool. Some encounter moral dilemmas once they’ve been found out.
The writing is clear and basic, so it is a pretty fast read, but I found my mind drifting periodically. There are too many characters that are similar with ineffective transitions between them, making it confusing whose story the reader should follow or care about, and sometimes whose story they are currently reading. As a result, a lot of the quick scenes with different characters lack tension because there is no urgency and the reader is scrambling to remember who is who and why we should be following them.
I wish there had been more on the science and psychology. The cops and robbers running around Europe was not intriguing, but had the tension been focused on what the characters had the ability do and why they felt morally entitled to do it, could have been interesting. I would guess that all in charge would have qualified as kills under their own testosterone test.
This book fails the Bechdel Movie test, granted it is a book, but the same sentiment applies. There are many one bit, or one level female characters, portrayed as victims and sex objects, all introduced with a description of their shapely physiques, and little other information of import, given nothing to do but run to or from men.
At the end of this book I wondered how an author could take all of the tension and intuition out of such a fun brainy idea.
March 25, 2014
At the center of Human Source Code is a very attention grabbing idea: scientist have been able to identify specific codes in human DNA that can essentially predict predispositions toward nefarious and violent behavior. Now, a mysterious group is using this information as a way to justify how to target individuals, and if they believe it is necessary, to kill them, therefore taking the ‘mutated’ DNA out of the DNA pool, and in their eyes helping humanity. Because of several suspicious coincidences, Detective Klapman begins to unravel the group’s dark intentions.
I thought that the central idea in this story was very compelling, and the author did a good job of creating a menacing group with unnerving ideas. I wish that the characters were more fleshed out, though, and many of the plot devices and characters were a bit cliche. The dialogue was also often a bit on the nose and unrealistic. That said, I still thought the central idea was creepy and alarming enough to hold my attention.
I thought that the central idea in this story was very compelling, and the author did a good job of creating a menacing group with unnerving ideas. I wish that the characters were more fleshed out, though, and many of the plot devices and characters were a bit cliche. The dialogue was also often a bit on the nose and unrealistic. That said, I still thought the central idea was creepy and alarming enough to hold my attention.
March 12, 2014
I won this book through the Goodreads First Reads giveaways.
I liked the premise of the novel, which is why I entered the giveaway. However. It is apparent from the clunky writing style that the author's first language is not English; while I could manage to get past that, the repeated typo of "mediation" for "meditation" was infuriating, along with various other typos. Overall, the clunky writing and use of what is typically thought of as "cop slang" detracted so much from the book that I could barely finish it. While I encourage Mr. Borik to continue to write, I would like to suggest a much more thorough editing process.
I liked the premise of the novel, which is why I entered the giveaway. However. It is apparent from the clunky writing style that the author's first language is not English; while I could manage to get past that, the repeated typo of "mediation" for "meditation" was infuriating, along with various other typos. Overall, the clunky writing and use of what is typically thought of as "cop slang" detracted so much from the book that I could barely finish it. While I encourage Mr. Borik to continue to write, I would like to suggest a much more thorough editing process.
March 25, 2014
Human source code definitely has an interesting concept to it but the ideas are not written clearly. As the reader, I felt like I was on the outside looking in on something exciting, but I was given way too little succinct information to make heads or tails of what was going on. To me the chapters were a little too short, always only a couple pages long, and they would jump around to different characters before I really got to know anyone in the book and so the characters ended up being too broad and generalized. However, I did get through the book quickly because while it isn’t the most structurally sound book, the ideas are so compelling that it kept me reading.
April 22, 2014
This was a weird book. I think that it needed better editing, because there was a lot of interesting ideas but the story was difficult to follow. I did like the mystery, and I think it would have been a pretty cool story with better editing. The idea of people manipulating the gene pool because certain genes pollute the human race with people prone to violence made for a great idea for a scary extremist group, but often the story got derailed by the odd dialogue and too many things happening that made the story a bit convoluted. I agree with others that with better editing this would probably be a pretty cool suspense story.
April 7, 2014
Book was a quick read with short chapters making it a good book to take with places. And with words or phrases sometimes being spelled differently or phrased oddly, it was easy to tell that english is not the first language for this author, not always a bad thing, but can be difficult to get the point across at times when relevant to the plot.
The science may not always be explained completely in the book, making it a bit frustrating, but if you are looking for just an easy, simple read, this can be a quick fill-in between other books.
The science may not always be explained completely in the book, making it a bit frustrating, but if you are looking for just an easy, simple read, this can be a quick fill-in between other books.
August 3, 2016
I read the whole book, and I could see potential in it but it just wasn't there for me. The dialogue was iffy, the science seemed over-simplified, kind of hokey, and the ending was not very exciting. The beginning had a lot of opinion/editorializing. There were characters who were given several pages who then never came back. And a woman who was blackmailed and forced into prostitution but was able to leave with 20k? I don't know. It didn't work for me. It was easy to read.
March 31, 2014
i wanted to like this book, but i just couldn't find anything redeeming in it. there is no character development; the story takes unnecessary turns with next to no explanation. it's rife with grammatical/typographical errors and terrible dialogue. it's hard to tell if some of the writing is due to poor writing or poor translation. i love crime drama, but this wasn't dramatic, suspenseful or griping. i'm glad it was a quick read because i just wanted it to be over.
June 2, 2014
This book intrigued me but just did not live up to my expectations. It read a bit like a cheesy Sci-Fi movie. Though the basic plot is interesting, there were too many twists and turns for me to follow without having to go back and re-read. The dialogue was sometimes a bit unrealistic and too wordy.
That being said, it was an interesting read. There were many dramatic moments that helped me to forget about the negative aspects mentioned above.
That being said, it was an interesting read. There were many dramatic moments that helped me to forget about the negative aspects mentioned above.
August 3, 2016
This is the weirdest/creepiest book I have ever read. I honestly could not even finish it. The author has some imagination but the story line and the plot could use some work.
March 22, 2014
Well written and entertaining. I look forward to his next book.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews