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Natural Selection
by
Monsters aren't real . . . Are they? Well, aren't dinosaurs, sharks, and crocodiles all really monsters? Yes. In fact, evolution made every single one of them. So could evolution make another monster? Today? A monster that is smarter, more deadly, and unlike any other to have evolved in the history of this planet? Weaving together science and thriller in a way notseen sinc
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Hardcover, 432 pages
Published
June 27th 2006
by Hachette Books
(first published June 1st 2006)
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Nothing more enticing than finding a review that compares a book to JURASSIC PARK for me. This is so much more, and I dare say more entertaining on a lot of levels.
It takes the theory of aberrant evolution and mainlines a factory's worth of Red Bull into it. It takes one of the ocean's most beautiful and majestic creatures and dials them forward -- and backward -- on their evolutionary timeline to create a new animal that the world is not ready for.
There's no stopping the pace of the storytellin ...more
It takes the theory of aberrant evolution and mainlines a factory's worth of Red Bull into it. It takes one of the ocean's most beautiful and majestic creatures and dials them forward -- and backward -- on their evolutionary timeline to create a new animal that the world is not ready for.
There's no stopping the pace of the storytellin ...more
This book was excellent! A strange creature resembling a manta ray is spotted in the Pacific ocean near the California coast where many seagulls, dolphins, and sharks have been disappearing. A team of scientists and biologists track it's migration north. They think it may be an evolutionary new species, predatory, deadly, rising from the ocean's depths, but why? What is causing it? Could it be a virus, nature's way of solving the world's over-population problem? I highly recommend this thrilling
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I read a lot of books. A lot. Even before I began reviewing them, I always had a book in my hand or in my bag. True crime is among my preferred genres. I don't scare or get freaked out easily. Natural Selection scared me. More than once I found myself actually speaking to a character, saying "No! Don't go there!" or "No! Don't touch it!" If I could have continued reading with my hands over my eyes, I think I would have.
Natural Selection is a cyclone of crazy action, biological discoveries and a ...more
Natural Selection is a cyclone of crazy action, biological discoveries and a ...more
Mar 11, 2010
Victoria
rated it
did not like it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
mystery-thriller,
ocean
This book was either a five-star book, or a one-star book depending on your perspective. I mean, it was laughably bad in places and the whole story was absolutely ludicrous... giant, flying (air-breathing) manta rays? The “science” bordered ludicrous at best. There used to be an Amazon review posted by a “C. Gull” that no longer appears to be posted, which actually is what made me buy this book in the first place. The numerous errors that he painstakingly recorded not only made me laugh, but def
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This was a very good and exciting book. I love books like this, monsters against mankind, or at least some members of mankind.
I thought the plot moved very quickly and the ending, oh my gosh the ending, talk about your nail biter!
I would love to see this book made into a movie, the giant manta rays would be fantastic, I've always thought rays were kind of creepy anyway, especially when you see their undersides.
Anyway I did really enjoy the story, it seemed to be well researched, I only had a pro ...more
I thought the plot moved very quickly and the ending, oh my gosh the ending, talk about your nail biter!
I would love to see this book made into a movie, the giant manta rays would be fantastic, I've always thought rays were kind of creepy anyway, especially when you see their undersides.
Anyway I did really enjoy the story, it seemed to be well researched, I only had a pro ...more
First off I have to say that i actually had to re start this book because I lost my book maker and I couldn't what page I was on, any way this is a five star re read for me, loved the concept of the story,all the time I was reading it ,it kept me think about how even to this day we still don't know everything about what living at the bottom of the ocean even though we do make some discovery, and we'll probably never will either,it also kept me thinking about how even to this day different animal
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From the depths they came, migrating searching for a dwindling food supply, as they came they grew, they changed, they evolved and they adapted, some faster than others but changed non the less.
A group of Marine biologist on the verge of making a new discovery, a new species,a world changing discovery.
If only they had known, with a brain twice the size of man and learning and adapting as it grew and explored, was this mans newest addition to the world or was it the beginning of the a new world o ...more
A group of Marine biologist on the verge of making a new discovery, a new species,a world changing discovery.
If only they had known, with a brain twice the size of man and learning and adapting as it grew and explored, was this mans newest addition to the world or was it the beginning of the a new world o ...more
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Very unique way of telling the story from not only the human perspective but from the predator and sea life perspective too.
There are unimaginable predators in the lowest points of the ocean but because of a virus their food supplies are drying up. Therefore, they must go to shallower waters. They adapt, oh so fast.
Jason and his group of scientist are trying to find out why manta rays have died in captivity until the discovery of the new life form. Then all attention is drawn to learning more a ...more
There are unimaginable predators in the lowest points of the ocean but because of a virus their food supplies are drying up. Therefore, they must go to shallower waters. They adapt, oh so fast.
Jason and his group of scientist are trying to find out why manta rays have died in captivity until the discovery of the new life form. Then all attention is drawn to learning more a ...more
I just bought this at an airport for something to read while on a plane. If you've read my other reviews, you know that I really enjoy science fiction so of course I liked this one.
My favorite scene in this book is when the new species is hunting a group of dolphins and the dolphins put up some pretty good maneuvers. But the way it was written made me understand exactly how the dolphins were thinking and how confused they were. So interesting. ...more
My favorite scene in this book is when the new species is hunting a group of dolphins and the dolphins put up some pretty good maneuvers. But the way it was written made me understand exactly how the dolphins were thinking and how confused they were. So interesting. ...more
Dave Freedman...amateur author and possibly professional biologist???
The book was chock-full of scientific reasonings and biology knowledge. It might not all have been true, but it was very convincing.
The story was different, the setting interesting, the "what-ifs" engaging.
The writing was a little amateurish at times, but it's a first novel, I can look past that for the enjoyment of a good story.
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The book was chock-full of scientific reasonings and biology knowledge. It might not all have been true, but it was very convincing.
The story was different, the setting interesting, the "what-ifs" engaging.
The writing was a little amateurish at times, but it's a first novel, I can look past that for the enjoyment of a good story.
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LOVED LOVED LOVED this book. Of course, you have to distend a lot of belief with this one, but it's still fabulous. It's pretty much Jaws, only with giant flying Manta Rays. Yes, you read that correctly.
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I picked this up from the library based solely on the cover. I admit the premise of a manta ray learing to fly is far-fetched but it was still fun to read. Several scenes you could almost guess what was going to happen next but overall I thought it was an enjoyable read.
I'm surprised at the one and two star ratings for this book. I thought it was action-packed and quite scary. Sharks evolving so that they can fly and hunt their prey on land? The stuff of nightmares. I really enjoyed it.
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The book started off so well with a new species of ray evolving into a killing machine and the scientists quest to find it. By the end, it just turned into a bad "Syfy Channel" original movie. Still a fun read for science fiction fans.
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Unique read on new specie finding. Great for those who are facinated by the "what-if" and want a good twist of horror associated with it.
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It's been two years since I heard this, but I remember well how absorbing this thriller was and I remember that I enjoyed the narrator. I don't remember whom it was though.
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This is an extremely interesting book that Darwin would be proud of. The characters are believable and irritating (as real people can be sometime!). This is a book that can make you think!
An honest to goodness terrifying read on how quickly a species can adapt to the ever changing world and that mankind is not as dominant as we thought anymore.
Good read it sparked some intriguing stuff. The depth in explanation and the way he described his internal details. The book sounded more real then a figure of imagination.
One of the fastest reads despite the science & tech, this novel reads like the best Crichton with a credibility of an expert in his field. Highly recommended!
Jawsome!
I hope to write a full review someday.
I hope to write a full review someday.
I loved it! Would have given it 5 stars but it dragged on a little in parts. I thought it was a really cool, scary but realistic premise! They should make it a movie!
One of the best "sea monster" books I've read yet.
This is the story of a previously unknown species - an unknown order for that matter - that has evolved in the deepest parts of the ocean for thousands of years. Due to a rising spread of aquatic disease and the subsequent die-off of their food sources, the creatures are forced to move up to the surface waters in search for prey. The older generation are unable to adapt to their new challenges, but the younger ones - with their six pound brains - ...more
This is the story of a previously unknown species - an unknown order for that matter - that has evolved in the deepest parts of the ocean for thousands of years. Due to a rising spread of aquatic disease and the subsequent die-off of their food sources, the creatures are forced to move up to the surface waters in search for prey. The older generation are unable to adapt to their new challenges, but the younger ones - with their six pound brains - ...more
Spoiler alert!
Due to an oceanic virus destroying its natural food source, a type of sea ray is forced to adapt and evolve. Unfortunately for humanity, the species is an intelligent predator. And it is very hungry. A research team and army veteran follow the group of the group of rays and soon discover that the creatures have learned to fly and have become air-breathers. One dominant member of the rays leaves its ocean habitat and establishes a hunting ground in California State Park and kills a ...more
Due to an oceanic virus destroying its natural food source, a type of sea ray is forced to adapt and evolve. Unfortunately for humanity, the species is an intelligent predator. And it is very hungry. A research team and army veteran follow the group of the group of rays and soon discover that the creatures have learned to fly and have become air-breathers. One dominant member of the rays leaves its ocean habitat and establishes a hunting ground in California State Park and kills a ...more
I listened to this book on audio and I thought it was great!! It grabbed you right from the beginning and kept me interested. One of the reviews I read called it a "Cross between Jurassic Park and Jaws" and that was fairly accurate. It wasn't quite "Sci-Fi" cause it was actually plausible, so it was more of a "What if..." story. The basic story consisted of the theory that creatures living at the bottom of the oceans for millions of years, were forced to the surface due to a man-made virus. Once
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I really enjoyed this book. It is a great reminder of how vast,mysterious and potentially deadly the ocean can be. Despite the book being fiction, there was alot of non-fiction references and the possibilities of a new species being discovered in depths of our oceans makes this book a great one to get the mind thinking about the "what ifs".
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Brilliant story with regards to evolution.
One of the first audiobooks that I listened to that wasn't narrated by the author. I guess that is why I tended to lose track of who's who and made listening to the story a bit confusing at times. The narrator didn't give the individuals any individuality. ...more
One of the first audiobooks that I listened to that wasn't narrated by the author. I guess that is why I tended to lose track of who's who and made listening to the story a bit confusing at times. The narrator didn't give the individuals any individuality. ...more
Outstanding read. One of the fastest page turners I've read in a very long time. I agree with others that the writing's not Chaucer. So what. Chaucer's boring. This guy isn't. Intense concept about a new species of flying predator. Masterful execution. Really scary. Loved it.
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I read this book in just three days and it had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I could not wait to turn the page. Very visual, I could see it all so clearly. Will make an amazing film that I will go see.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Around the Year i...: Natural Selection, by Dave Freedman | 1 | 18 | Aug 18, 2016 03:16PM | |
| What's the Name o...: Horror: Sting rays gain ability to fly out of the sea and develop a taste for large prey flesh [s] | 10 | 54 | Mar 25, 2013 11:26AM |
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