Green Eyes in The Evolution of Science Fiction

Sep 12, 2014 Jim rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, 2fiction, 1ebook, scifi

I recently found this book again after 30 years. The first time I read it was about the time my youngest boy was born, 1984. I bought several new paperbacks by Ace. They were some sort of special edition & looked pretty cool together with great teasers. One was Neuromancer by William Gibson & this was the other that I still remember. Somewhere along the way I lost this one, though. It's great to get another chance to read it.

Well, I see why Neuromancer survived the purges of the past 3 decades & ...more

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Dec 29, 2015 Tomislav rated it liked it

Shelves: science-fiction

A reclusive research project is experimenting with a strain of bacteria that re-animates the recently dead. Each zombie is assigned a therapist, who is encouraged to use subtle sexual attraction to manipulate their subject to normal functionality. But zombie Donnell Harrison and his therapist Jocundra, disgusted by the behaviors of the sleazy researchers, slowly acknowledge the growth of a real relationship and escape to the nearby Louisiana bayou country. I don't read much horror, and am not su A reclusive research project is experimenting with a strain of bacteria that re-animates the recently dead. Each zombie is assigned a therapist, who is encouraged to use subtle sexual attraction to manipulate their subject to normal functionality. But zombie Donnell Harrison and his therapist Jocundra, disgusted by the behaviors of the sleazy researchers, slowly acknowledge the growth of a real relationship and escape to the nearby Louisiana bayou country. I don't read much horror, and am not sure how this book would stack up in that category, but I found Shepard's descriptions of the lush decadent plant life and people of that place to be evocative and chillingly creepy. They fall in with faith healers, and find Donnell has powers beyond human experience, except possibly in the traditions of Voudou. From the faith healers onward, their lives grow increasingly bizarre and grotesque.

I would be giving this book a high rating, for its narrative quality, but unfortunately Shepard stepped onto one of my personal landmines. I am a biomedical engineer working in design of applications of magnetic resonance imaging systems. My peeve is when a writer picks up a few random words and concepts of nuclear magnetic resonance, and proceeds to demonstrate that they totally do not understand it. While it is true that the broadcast of electromagnetic energy at the correct frequency will affect the spin of the nucleus of certain isotopes like Hydrogen-1, this does not cause whole cells or even molecules or atoms to move and align - just takes the nucleus to a higher energy state right where it is! It is a confusion of NMR with plain old-fashioned electromagnetism. And while we're at it, human illness cannot be cured by manipulating eddy currents in the Earth's magnetic field. I wish it could, because then we could treat people by just making them wear magnets in the right places. I know sf writers use scientific terminology to create suspension of disbelief; but it has to be done accurately or it is just techno-gibberish. Shepard would have been better off just sticking with his story. ...more

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