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The Genehunter
Some secrets are best left buried...
Simms is a genehunter, paid to track down the DNA of the famous and infamous of history for his clients' private collections. What they do with the DNA isn't his problem - even if they are using it to create illegal clones.
He walks a line, pulled in many different directions at once. The law, competing genehunters, ex-lovers, religious nuts and anti-genehunter crazies. But when he starts to work the Boneyard case he discovers that, sometimes, you have to decide which side of the line you're on.
And when he starts to uncover the truth of his own origins he begins to question everything he is and does...
A future noir cyberpunk novel set on an Earth slowly going to hell. The Genehunter follows the adventures of Simms, genetic detective and all-round nice guy. Originally published as a series of five linked novellas: The Wrong Tom Jacks, The Zombies of Death, The Clone Who Didn't Know, A Soldier of Megiddo and Boneyard. With added bonus material: The World of Simms (characters and organisations of the Genehunter universe) and 22nd Century Genie (the original Simms short story).
Simms is a genehunter, paid to track down the DNA of the famous and infamous of history for his clients' private collections. What they do with the DNA isn't his problem - even if they are using it to create illegal clones.
He walks a line, pulled in many different directions at once. The law, competing genehunters, ex-lovers, religious nuts and anti-genehunter crazies. But when he starts to work the Boneyard case he discovers that, sometimes, you have to decide which side of the line you're on.
And when he starts to uncover the truth of his own origins he begins to question everything he is and does...
A future noir cyberpunk novel set on an Earth slowly going to hell. The Genehunter follows the adventures of Simms, genetic detective and all-round nice guy. Originally published as a series of five linked novellas: The Wrong Tom Jacks, The Zombies of Death, The Clone Who Didn't Know, A Soldier of Megiddo and Boneyard. With added bonus material: The World of Simms (characters and organisations of the Genehunter universe) and 22nd Century Genie (the original Simms short story).
225 pages, Paperback
Published February 1, 2018
69 people are currently reading
454 people want to read
About the author
Simon Kewin
112 books83 followersSimon Kewin is a fantasy and sci/fi writer, author of the
Cloven Land
fantasy trilogy, cyberpunk thriller
The Genehunter
, steampunk Gormenghast saga
Engn
, the
Triple Stars
sci/fi trilogy and the Office of the Witchfinder General books, published by Elsewhen Press.
He's the author of several short story collections, with his shorter fiction appearing in Analog, Nature and over a hundred other magazines.
He is currently doing an MA in creative writing while writing at least three novels simultaneously.
He's the author of several short story collections, with his shorter fiction appearing in Analog, Nature and over a hundred other magazines.
He is currently doing an MA in creative writing while writing at least three novels simultaneously.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
October 10, 2017
In receiving author bios I discovered that veteran Abyss & Apex author Simon Kewin, who has a story in this edition, has written novels. Here is my review of his science fiction noir gumshoe book, The Genehunter.
Very few authors writing about future tech extrapolate well on multiple fronts: social, technological, economic, theological, political. Add Simon Kewin to the ranks of authors who have not only done such extrapolations, but done them well, with believable characters and an intricate plot.
In a future world where people will pay good money for rare DNA–say of a famous musician, scientist, or actor–Simms is a genehunter. The ethics involved in this are both simple (he’s good at it and needs to eat) and complex. What happens if an unscrupulous person illegally clones the famous individual from the DNA? Are the clones persons who have souls or not, and if a person can clone another are they playing god in creating that soul? People like Simm’s ex run sanctuaries for rescued clones, others hunt down clones and kill them as abominations. And, of course, law enforcement has a rather unique set of challenges dealing with the trade.
Simms is licenced, supposedly a perfectly legal collector of DNA for those who want medical histories, paternity proven, or just like to frame the unique A-G-C-T gene sequences on their walls. But with the amount of money involved, everyone dips over the line to illegality.
And to complicate things, Simms is addicted to the adrenaline rush of outsmarting all of the other actors involved, which gets really exciting when they all start giving him conflicting instructions at the same time. Failure for one faction means success for the other, and the rewards are either insane amounts of money, death, getting back with his ex, death, incarceration, death, or the end of the world. And did I mention death?
I’m giving it five stars, but you will especially love it if you enjoy the sort of protagonist who likes giving the grim reaper the finger.
Very few authors writing about future tech extrapolate well on multiple fronts: social, technological, economic, theological, political. Add Simon Kewin to the ranks of authors who have not only done such extrapolations, but done them well, with believable characters and an intricate plot.
In a future world where people will pay good money for rare DNA–say of a famous musician, scientist, or actor–Simms is a genehunter. The ethics involved in this are both simple (he’s good at it and needs to eat) and complex. What happens if an unscrupulous person illegally clones the famous individual from the DNA? Are the clones persons who have souls or not, and if a person can clone another are they playing god in creating that soul? People like Simm’s ex run sanctuaries for rescued clones, others hunt down clones and kill them as abominations. And, of course, law enforcement has a rather unique set of challenges dealing with the trade.
Simms is licenced, supposedly a perfectly legal collector of DNA for those who want medical histories, paternity proven, or just like to frame the unique A-G-C-T gene sequences on their walls. But with the amount of money involved, everyone dips over the line to illegality.
And to complicate things, Simms is addicted to the adrenaline rush of outsmarting all of the other actors involved, which gets really exciting when they all start giving him conflicting instructions at the same time. Failure for one faction means success for the other, and the rewards are either insane amounts of money, death, getting back with his ex, death, incarceration, death, or the end of the world. And did I mention death?
I’m giving it five stars, but you will especially love it if you enjoy the sort of protagonist who likes giving the grim reaper the finger.
April 15, 2013
The Genehunter by Simon Kewin is a top notch cyberpunk, SF-noir thriller with enough subplots and clandestine organizations to keep mystery/conspiracy lovers captivated to the very last page. Excellent blend of imaginative setting (far future tech world), intriguing characterization (a protag you'll both love and hate), compelling plotting (5 episodes that each have their own story arc and yet thread together into a complete whole), and powerful storytelling (Kewin's voice and narrative skill are as good as any traditionally published SF writer out there today). Highly recommended for mature readers.
(I'll post a bit of plot summary and some highlights later, but I wanted to get this part of the review up now so you can check out Kewin's work while it's on the rise.)
(I'll post a bit of plot summary and some highlights later, but I wanted to get this part of the review up now so you can check out Kewin's work while it's on the rise.)
Read
April 29, 2020Entertaining and action packed. This takes place in the future so I had to get into the modern devices introduced, like travel pods. The story is believable considering how far science has come, the author also introduces how the body of the future will be put together and manipulated. The anatomy is fun to see .as well as future surgery, and brain manipulation.
It’s a page turner because Simms is always getting into tight spots and you never know who or if he’s being followed by friend or foe. There are twists and turns around every story told as it all comes together at the end.
It’s a page turner because Simms is always getting into tight spots and you never know who or if he’s being followed by friend or foe. There are twists and turns around every story told as it all comes together at the end.
June 27, 2018
I liked this book, had different storylines which is one of the things I like about Sci-Fiction. It kept my interest throughout the book. I will be looking for more by this author.
July 25, 2014
I received this ebook as a free giveaway in exchange for an honest review and I just finished reading it last night. In a nutshell, I loved it!!! The premise was fascinating - a DNA detective who hunts down and acquires DNA samples of famous people (usually rock stars) for collectors, a Genehunter, or Genie for short.
The book is set in the future and cloning has become something of an illegal hobby for the rich and bored. They acquire the DNA of someone famous and clone them for their personal Zoo. Sometimes the cloning goes wrong and the clones are discarded. If they are lucky they wind up in a refuge, a place where they can be safe. Some are rescued and liberated by activist groups who are against the collection of DNA and what is essentially the buying and selling of human beings as if they are property.
The main character, Simms, is a Genehunter who sees no problem with what he does for a living until he gets caught up in the middle of a mysterious mess between opposing forces of a regulating government agency, a fanatical religious cult and an activist group of which his former girlfriend, and the love of his lire, is now a member. It's a fast-paced gritty novel in the style of Charlie Huston and Richard Kadrey, both authors I also enjoy. Lots of twists and turns and surprises that the reader uncovers along with Simms that forces new perspectives and moral questions.
I'm not usually a science fiction reader, but this book was really excellent and pulled me in from the first page and did not let go. Simon Kewin is a good writer and future world he presents feels real and believable. An excellent read and highly recommended!
The book is set in the future and cloning has become something of an illegal hobby for the rich and bored. They acquire the DNA of someone famous and clone them for their personal Zoo. Sometimes the cloning goes wrong and the clones are discarded. If they are lucky they wind up in a refuge, a place where they can be safe. Some are rescued and liberated by activist groups who are against the collection of DNA and what is essentially the buying and selling of human beings as if they are property.
The main character, Simms, is a Genehunter who sees no problem with what he does for a living until he gets caught up in the middle of a mysterious mess between opposing forces of a regulating government agency, a fanatical religious cult and an activist group of which his former girlfriend, and the love of his lire, is now a member. It's a fast-paced gritty novel in the style of Charlie Huston and Richard Kadrey, both authors I also enjoy. Lots of twists and turns and surprises that the reader uncovers along with Simms that forces new perspectives and moral questions.
I'm not usually a science fiction reader, but this book was really excellent and pulled me in from the first page and did not let go. Simon Kewin is a good writer and future world he presents feels real and believable. An excellent read and highly recommended!
May 31, 2013
The main character in this book is a genehunter (hence the title). A man who tracks down DNA and sells it to collectors. That seems benign enough, until you realise those collectors tend to use the DNA to make clones which they house in personal zoos. This isn't just a book about a genehunter struggling with his conscience (though really, there's probably enough material there to fill one all by itself), it is a thriller where the stakes are much higher than peace of mind or one man's values.
I don't read much cyberpunk, in fact, The Genehunter might be my first real foray into that genre, but I enjoyed it a great deal. The noir style of the novel really worked very well with all the advanced technology and wetware. It doesn't seem like it ought to, but it really does.
Simon's writing was engaging and kept me turning virtual pages until long after I ought to have been asleep. I will definitely read more of his work in the future.
I don't read much cyberpunk, in fact, The Genehunter might be my first real foray into that genre, but I enjoyed it a great deal. The noir style of the novel really worked very well with all the advanced technology and wetware. It doesn't seem like it ought to, but it really does.
Simon's writing was engaging and kept me turning virtual pages until long after I ought to have been asleep. I will definitely read more of his work in the future.
February 1, 2014
It's been quite a while since I've read a cyberpunk novel this good. Being a science fiction author myself, I read quite a lot of science fiction, and this one stands out as one of the best I've read in a while. There are heaps of cool ideas in here (I especially love the brain plugins which give the users a high level of control over their bodies, including what they see), the characters are very well drawn and relatable (not perfect, not always likable, but real and often funny), the writing style is very smooth and the book has been well edited in general. If you're a fan of cyberpunk or even hard-boiled crime novels, then this will leave you wanting more of Simon Kewin's work. Highly recommended!
August 7, 2014
In this futuristic thriller, Simms, a famous head hunter, seeks and finds the DNA of dead people.
It’s the 22nd century and people have brain plugins inside their heads, communicate with one another via pings (telepathic communication), and are literally interconnected via the wordwide web. They even get paid via their brain plugins. People travel city to city and country to country via jump nodes (teleportation). ... Book Review: The Genehunter By Simon Kewin » Katarina Nolte
http://katarinanolte.com/WordPressBlo...
It’s the 22nd century and people have brain plugins inside their heads, communicate with one another via pings (telepathic communication), and are literally interconnected via the wordwide web. They even get paid via their brain plugins. People travel city to city and country to country via jump nodes (teleportation). ... Book Review: The Genehunter By Simon Kewin » Katarina Nolte
http://katarinanolte.com/WordPressBlo...
June 21, 2016
Interesting idea, exciting world, never boring (always something going on) but somehow the end is a little to weak for me...
The kindle book also contains an alternate (short) version of the books story - good idea; and an interesting exploration of the basic idea!
The kindle book also contains an alternate (short) version of the books story - good idea; and an interesting exploration of the basic idea!
December 4, 2016
captivating
I read this in one sitting. The characters are interesting and have depth. The stories are involving and while he has to be somewhat repetitive, he keeps from being overly boring. I will read more of his stories and books and definitely more Genehunters.
I read this in one sitting. The characters are interesting and have depth. The stories are involving and while he has to be somewhat repetitive, he keeps from being overly boring. I will read more of his stories and books and definitely more Genehunters.
May 12, 2014
I had to just give up on this book. After about a dozen or so pages the writing style just grated on my nerves too much. The descriptions and dialogue were just too stiff.
May 25, 2015
Excellent series, perfect for a sci-fi fans. If you like William Gibson, give this a try.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews