Julia and the Dream Maker

by P.J. Fischer

Three graduate students in search of a little extra money create a toy for profit that pushes the limits of artificial intelligence and changes their future.
 
One student lands in jail charged with violating genetic manipulation laws, while another becomes more deeply involved with their creation, Julia. Elements of science and fiction intertwine in this compelling tale. A new era of human history is ushered in through the enterprising activities of cash-strapped graduate students. There’s a fine line between “can” and “should.” In  Julia and the Dream Maker , P. J. Fischer explores what could happen if we choose “can” and tamper with evolution.
 
The first in a series by P. J. Fischer, Julia and the Dream Maker is perfect for fans of The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. , Genome , and The Genesis Conspiracy , and for anyone who likes to explore the outer limits of the possible.

306 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

P. J. Fischer grew up in Salem, Oregon, and holds a B.S. degree from Oregon State University and a doctorate from the University of Oregon. Fischer's fascination with science's potential is evident in his novels, Julia and the Dream Maker and Green Eyes in the Amazon, in which he explores its inevitable impact on our lives.

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had some good, interesting ideas, but threw around science jargon like cheap Chinese restaurants throw around MSG. It does add a bit of flavor, but in the end, it ate away the core of the book, which was some kind of combination of religion, evolution, and quantum entanglement. The writing style throughout was poor, and the author depended on heavily cheesy literary devices - probably about 60% of the chapters ended with some kind of risque sentence/paragraph about the main couple, which was completely irrelevant to the preceding chapter, and poor transition into the next. Much of the book has poor grammar, especially incomplete sentences and overly difficult sentence structure, partially due to the jargon. I don't honestly expect much more than that from a former engineer, though.

The thing that really sinks this book is that it was written as the first in a set of two. The publisher rejected the second book because it was abysmal. The story is left hanging at exactly the moment when it started to become interesting, and not simply meandering and pointless. I'm left frustrated, but probably not as frustrated as I would be if I were to read the sequel.