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The Changeling Plague
In the mid-21st century, all genetic experimentation has been outlawed. But when a desperate dying man takes an illegal gene therapy drug, he unleashes a worldwide plague that rewrites the DNA of everyone he encounters.
- GenresScience FictionFiction
327 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 4, 2003
1 person is currently reading
236 people want to read
About the author
Syne Mitchell
15 books47 followersWife of Eric S. Nylund
Syne Mitchell (born 1970) is a novelist in the science fiction genre.[1] She has a bachelor's degree in business administration and master's degree in physics. She lives in Seattle, Washington and is married to author Eric S. Nylund. Her first science fiction novel was Murphy’s Gambit which won the Compton Crook Award in 2001. She subsequently published the first installment of the Deathless series, called The Last Mortal Man. She is currently working on podcasting and writing non-fiction essays.
According to her blog, Mitchell's The Last Mortal Man series has not been chosen for further publication. As a result, she has chosen to pursue other series. To further this goal, she has joined a local writer's group.
Mitchell publishes an online magazine for handweavers, WeaveZine, and produces a monthly podcast, WeaveCast.
The Deathless series was canceled by ROC publishing due to "sluggish sales." Syne Mitchell wrote a preview of Book 2, which was added to the back of Book 1.
Syne Mitchell (born 1970) is a novelist in the science fiction genre.[1] She has a bachelor's degree in business administration and master's degree in physics. She lives in Seattle, Washington and is married to author Eric S. Nylund. Her first science fiction novel was Murphy’s Gambit which won the Compton Crook Award in 2001. She subsequently published the first installment of the Deathless series, called The Last Mortal Man. She is currently working on podcasting and writing non-fiction essays.
According to her blog, Mitchell's The Last Mortal Man series has not been chosen for further publication. As a result, she has chosen to pursue other series. To further this goal, she has joined a local writer's group.
Mitchell publishes an online magazine for handweavers, WeaveZine, and produces a monthly podcast, WeaveCast.
The Deathless series was canceled by ROC publishing due to "sluggish sales." Syne Mitchell wrote a preview of Book 2, which was added to the back of Book 1.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
September 11, 2010
3.5 stars. This was a fast paced, extremely quick read with a really good plot concept. In the near future, a genetically engineered treatment for cystic fibrosis unleashes a plague that literally re-writes its victims' DNA. The reason I did not rate this higher is that the depth of the story and the level of detail regarding the science behind the story was at a more YA level and so it wasn't as compelling as it could have been. That said, it was still a fun read and I would recommend it if you are looking for an entertaining read.
Nominee: John W. Campbell Award for Best Science Fiction Novel.
Nominee: John W. Campbell Award for Best Science Fiction Novel.
April 1, 2013
This near-future story starts off as a thriller, and handles the page-turning suspense well. In a nutshell, a guy with money and cystic fibrosis plays fast and loose with a genetic researcher who crafts a virus to correct his disease at the DNA level. Of course, the researcher didn't code for patients without CF, and didn't think the virus could get out into the wild. While certainly not a new idea, it works well here.
There are three main characters, and chapters are focused on one of their points of view. We follow each as a new plague develops, with lightning propagation and a greater than 90% mortality rate. The gene researcher tries to figure things out, the hacker provides information, and patient zero deals with his angst. Each is well drawn and has a believable motivation.
By chapter 13, researchers in Japan develop a vaccine, and the whole character of the story changes. After the required vaccinations, the rest of the world gets ready to move on, and most labs stop working to find a cure. This leaves patient zero (and the other victims) as an outcast and the researcher full of angst. The hacker, on the other hand, has started to treat this virus, and DNA modifications in general, as a sort of computer language, and works to hack the bio-system.
Infected persons are susceptible to other mutations, and these are at the DNA level. Putting them together in camps leads the victims to share DNA, to become more alike. For the hackers, this means other modifications can be introduced. Both groups are now the "changelings" of the title, and both are shunned by society.
The dehumanization of victims and the fear of the uninfected lead to the climax of the novel, and reflect on how we treat the outcasts of our societies today. Protests and politics are both touched on. I found the transition from thriller to social commentary worked well.
Was the science correct, or close? I find it hard to believe that DNA modification would express itself so quickly, and the gene sequencer machines seem too powerful, but other than that the science felt fine for a near-future novel. A few of the computer terms were a little dated, but then this novel was published 10 years ago.
In short, author Syne Mitchell has crafted an excellent story, shifting gears partway through to arrive at a thought provoking conclusion. I plan to seek out her first novel, the Compton Crook award winning "Murphy's Gambit," in the near future. "The Changeling Plague" is worthy of five stars.
There are three main characters, and chapters are focused on one of their points of view. We follow each as a new plague develops, with lightning propagation and a greater than 90% mortality rate. The gene researcher tries to figure things out, the hacker provides information, and patient zero deals with his angst. Each is well drawn and has a believable motivation.
By chapter 13, researchers in Japan develop a vaccine, and the whole character of the story changes. After the required vaccinations, the rest of the world gets ready to move on, and most labs stop working to find a cure. This leaves patient zero (and the other victims) as an outcast and the researcher full of angst. The hacker, on the other hand, has started to treat this virus, and DNA modifications in general, as a sort of computer language, and works to hack the bio-system.
Infected persons are susceptible to other mutations, and these are at the DNA level. Putting them together in camps leads the victims to share DNA, to become more alike. For the hackers, this means other modifications can be introduced. Both groups are now the "changelings" of the title, and both are shunned by society.
The dehumanization of victims and the fear of the uninfected lead to the climax of the novel, and reflect on how we treat the outcasts of our societies today. Protests and politics are both touched on. I found the transition from thriller to social commentary worked well.
Was the science correct, or close? I find it hard to believe that DNA modification would express itself so quickly, and the gene sequencer machines seem too powerful, but other than that the science felt fine for a near-future novel. A few of the computer terms were a little dated, but then this novel was published 10 years ago.
In short, author Syne Mitchell has crafted an excellent story, shifting gears partway through to arrive at a thought provoking conclusion. I plan to seek out her first novel, the Compton Crook award winning "Murphy's Gambit," in the near future. "The Changeling Plague" is worthy of five stars.
November 9, 2017
Honestly, I enjoyed the premise of this book. But I could definitely tell that the author graduated college at 15. There were a lot of medical words and references that were confusing and difficult for me (as a normal, non-genius) to get through.
July 3, 2013
Mitchell has written a solid, engaging, and smart sci-fi thriller. Like the cover blurb says, it reads a lot like "The Andromeda Strain" but is thankfully free of that novel's glaring flaws. "The Changeling Plague" has a tight story with no loose ends or plot holes. The characterization and plot move along at a swift pace; The scientific jargon is accurate but not intimidating to the casual reader. The dialogue is well-written. I usually prefer novels with more emotional involvement - for some reason I didn't feel very connected to any of the characters - but I'm okay with a thriller which is more detached.
Props to Mitchell for including a female lead who is a person of color. I like diversity in my scifi! Genetic diversity is an explicit theme of the novel and the characters are refreshingly portrayed in realistic tones - this novel ain't white-washed!
Props to Mitchell for including a female lead who is a person of color. I like diversity in my scifi! Genetic diversity is an explicit theme of the novel and the characters are refreshingly portrayed in realistic tones - this novel ain't white-washed!
September 27, 2010
This book is hugely page-turning, insightful about gene- and DNA-therapy, has great characters, questions morality, and examines how humanity might face not only extinction but also self-imposed evolution. It's also scary as hell. Mitchell uses believable science to offer a glimpse into how genetic treatments (or biological warfare) could destroy - or transform - humanity. At the time I read this, I wrote "Either I'm behind on keeping track of the evolution of cyberpunk or the story here is a fresh one: Hackers get involved in genetic coding when a tailored plague threatens to wipe out humanity. If they are skilled at hacking computer code, why not the code that determines who we are? This moment of recognizing what feels like literary evolution in the genre delighted some part of my mind."
I highly recommend the book.
I highly recommend the book.
February 12, 2023
Geoffrey Allen is a millionaire with cystic fibrosis. Allen uses an illegal cure which will reprogram his DNA and cure him. It seems to succeed. A viral plague is released. The virus is rewriting the victims DNA. Allen uses his money and resources to aid Dr. Lilith Watkins to fight the plaque. Assisting her is a hacker who lost his sister to previous plague. He makes progress on a treatment and sees potentials in the disease itself. The disease can be used to enhance the human body. Is this good? The story and characters were OK. Everyone has believable motivations. Not sure on the science biology not being my strong suit. The ethical questions are intriguing.
May 11, 2020
I read this book during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, and it was uncomfortably true to life. The plague here is highly contagious, and the presentation of gene manipulation in search of cures was interesting -- good characters, good action, fun read.
May 17, 2019
This is a thoroughly enjoyable read.
February 26, 2017
The science aspect of this book was really the main attraction. There was a great deal of genetic lab work explained in detail, which I loved. And yet, the pacing rarely faltered. The writing was not brilliant but certainly proficient enough to carry this story right along. There was a good balance between all the necessary elements: character interaction, tense action, societal commentary and background, and actual science.
What I find especially fascinating was that this was written before Crispr-Cas9 came on the public scene!
Towards the end, I was thinking that this whole story made a good prelude to the widespread gene-mod cultures in John Varleys Eight World stories.
The struggle between technology that a significant segment of a society WANTS and the laws and their moribund makers was nicely highlighted in this book.
I look forward to reading two of her other books!
What I find especially fascinating was that this was written before Crispr-Cas9 came on the public scene!
Towards the end, I was thinking that this whole story made a good prelude to the widespread gene-mod cultures in John Varleys Eight World stories.
The struggle between technology that a significant segment of a society WANTS and the laws and their moribund makers was nicely highlighted in this book.
I look forward to reading two of her other books!
January 19, 2015
I'm a die hard sci-fi junkie. I grew up in the late 1970's and was exposed to tons of science fiction as a young child. Star Wars came out when I was 3. Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers, Knight Rider, The Incredible Hulk were always shows that were never missed each week when they came on TV. I started reading superhero comics. Transformers and He-Man were afternoon staples. As I got older, I started reading stuff like H.G. Wells, Orwell, and Philip K. Dick. In my teens, I started watching movies like Predator and the Alien franchise. I watch cheap sci-fi movies that are direct to video or made for SyFy. I mainly play science fiction based video games. If it is science fiction, I'll read, watch, play, or listen to it if I get the chance. My sister gave me this book and thought it would be something I'd like. I read the blurb on the back cover and it sounded really interesting. I really thought it was something I'd like and I wanted to like it, but you don't always get what you want.
I only made it a 100 pages into the book before putting it down. That's just shy of 1/3 of the book. By that point in the book, not one single interesting thing had happened. I detested one of the the 3 main characters. The author spits out so much technical science jargon that it made the reading a chore. I'm reading for pleasure. I don't want to feel like I'm back in science class, in school, reading from a science text book. I didn't do well in science class. I was always bored. I don't know if I was bad at science because I hated it or if I hated it because I was bad at it. I have an English degree. I love literature. I want my science fiction to be less science and more fiction. The opposite occurs here though. To me, there wasn't enough of a story to put up with all the science stuff. If I ever see Syne Mitchell's name on a book again, I'll immediately put it right back down. There are way too many good writers out there to waste my time reading anything else Mitchell writes.
****I must add an addendum to my review. I'm not the type of person that just quits reading a book. I normally finish reading something even if it's not what I was hoping for. This is only the second or third book in my entire lifetime that I just could not finish and I'm a lifelong reader. I've read reviews by other readers on here and quite a few of them had a different experience with the book than I did. I just can't in good conscience recommend it to anyone myself.
I only made it a 100 pages into the book before putting it down. That's just shy of 1/3 of the book. By that point in the book, not one single interesting thing had happened. I detested one of the the 3 main characters. The author spits out so much technical science jargon that it made the reading a chore. I'm reading for pleasure. I don't want to feel like I'm back in science class, in school, reading from a science text book. I didn't do well in science class. I was always bored. I don't know if I was bad at science because I hated it or if I hated it because I was bad at it. I have an English degree. I love literature. I want my science fiction to be less science and more fiction. The opposite occurs here though. To me, there wasn't enough of a story to put up with all the science stuff. If I ever see Syne Mitchell's name on a book again, I'll immediately put it right back down. There are way too many good writers out there to waste my time reading anything else Mitchell writes.
****I must add an addendum to my review. I'm not the type of person that just quits reading a book. I normally finish reading something even if it's not what I was hoping for. This is only the second or third book in my entire lifetime that I just could not finish and I'm a lifelong reader. I've read reviews by other readers on here and quite a few of them had a different experience with the book than I did. I just can't in good conscience recommend it to anyone myself.
May 31, 2008
I was quite surprised by this book. Initially, it seemed to be a typical fast-paced plague outbreak thriller set in the future, which although interesting, moved too quickly before I had connected with the characters. I'm glad I stuck with it because about half way through the book, it added another element to the story that I really liked(no spoilers here). If you like these kinds of stories, then I think you'll enjoy this one as well.
June 27, 2012
Very realistic novel from a clearly very intelligent novel. Unfortunately, it will, due to its realism, soon become dated. (Indeed, some parts are already dated, such as the reference to "Triple DES with a 4096 bit key," which never quite described a real thing anyway.) Perhaps the author will bring it up to date and rerelease it? Anyway, if you liked Herbert's "The White Plague" but thought it was a bit too soft on the science, this should satisfy.
November 22, 2007
Its really great to see science and hacking come together in such a unique way, its a great book but its got a lot of technical jargon that most people wont like. But i suck at science and i'm not nearly that great on the computer and i still loved it! Check it out when you want to see the human race at one of its more pathetic times...
September 19, 2008
The Changeling Plague is about genetic modification, disease and computer hacking. The story telling is a unique style, with a lot of backstory that's left untold. It's an intriguing tale that I found to be a lot of fun. The technical jargon is somewhat confusing at times, but the story itself is always easy to understand and interesting.
August 3, 2007
its the changeling plague that kill the whole family of geoffrey allen..the viruses continue to mutate and resist to any vaccines..it changes from one prsn to another..freak out!!but cool book..but really cool cause the end, its the japanese scintist(an asian!)that discover the cure...
March 6, 2010
A crazy story, with an entirely unexpected twist. I really like the realism, the characters, and the development of the plague.
July 23, 2010
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It went places I didn't expect and kept me interested the whole time. Hackers, plague outbreak, etc, pretty cool.
July 16, 2011
Had some really striking moments, overall pretty interesting.
March 29, 2012
Quite simply one of the worst science-fiction books I've ever read. The science is simply so bad, the characters annoying and the plot quite thin.
July 23, 2012
Genetic Engineering done wrong and right.
January 13, 2013
Better than I expected.
December 2, 2018
Okay, I've definitely read this before, years ago, but I kept reading anyway because the story was just so compelling.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews