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NO
Con NO -la fórmula química del óxido nítrico- concluye la tetralogía de novelas de Carl Djerassi, del género que él ha denominado «ciencia en ficción». En todas ellas da cuenta de descubrimientos científicos reales, pero con personajes ficticios.
En El dilema de Cantor el autor nos mostró a qué puede conducir el ansia desmedida por obtener el reconocimiento más anhelado por científicos: el Premio Nobel.
En El gambito de Bourbaki expone una situación que cada vez será más frecuente en la vida de los seres humanos –visto desde la perspectiva de los científicos-: el retiro forzado de mujeres y hombres que ya son considerados ancianos pero que en realidad conservan aún su capacidad creativa. Con un desenlace inesperado, nos adentra en un rasgo peculiar de los científicos –tema también de El dilema de Cantor-: el afán por ser reconocidos…, pero no por cualquier hombre común de la calle, sino por sus propios pares.
La semilla de Menachem -tercera obra de la tetralogía- es tan rica en sus temas que resulta difícil definirla en pocas palabras; sin embargo, aventuramos un adjetivo: humana.
Además Djerassi se descubre aquí como un maestro en lo que a personajes femeninos se refiere: Melanie Laidlaw no es sólo central en La semilla de Menachem, sino que también desempeña un papel importante en la novela que el lector tiene un sus manos. La semilla de Menachem nos expone también la tragedia de la región que es cuna de la civilización occidental: el Cercano Oriente. Y es en el Cercano Oriente donde se desarrolla la trama principal de NO, novela en que surge portentosamente otro personaje femenino de Djerassi: Renu Krishnan.
Y para cerrar el círculo con maestría, todos los actores principales de las anteriores novelas se dan cita en NO, con sus vicios y virtudes.
En El dilema de Cantor el autor nos mostró a qué puede conducir el ansia desmedida por obtener el reconocimiento más anhelado por científicos: el Premio Nobel.
En El gambito de Bourbaki expone una situación que cada vez será más frecuente en la vida de los seres humanos –visto desde la perspectiva de los científicos-: el retiro forzado de mujeres y hombres que ya son considerados ancianos pero que en realidad conservan aún su capacidad creativa. Con un desenlace inesperado, nos adentra en un rasgo peculiar de los científicos –tema también de El dilema de Cantor-: el afán por ser reconocidos…, pero no por cualquier hombre común de la calle, sino por sus propios pares.
La semilla de Menachem -tercera obra de la tetralogía- es tan rica en sus temas que resulta difícil definirla en pocas palabras; sin embargo, aventuramos un adjetivo: humana.
Además Djerassi se descubre aquí como un maestro en lo que a personajes femeninos se refiere: Melanie Laidlaw no es sólo central en La semilla de Menachem, sino que también desempeña un papel importante en la novela que el lector tiene un sus manos. La semilla de Menachem nos expone también la tragedia de la región que es cuna de la civilización occidental: el Cercano Oriente. Y es en el Cercano Oriente donde se desarrolla la trama principal de NO, novela en que surge portentosamente otro personaje femenino de Djerassi: Renu Krishnan.
Y para cerrar el círculo con maestría, todos los actores principales de las anteriores novelas se dan cita en NO, con sus vicios y virtudes.
312 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
30 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 19, 2019
NO is the chemical formula for nitric oxide, a simple gas that has many roles in almost all life. In mammals, nitric oxide is a signaling molecule involved in many physiological and pathological processes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biologi... And the discovery that NO can correct erectile dysfunction in human males is the scientific basis for Djerassi's novel, one of a series he called "science in fiction," now more commonly known as Lab Lit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lab_lit
I liked this book a lot, although it starts out with some difficult technical reading that challenged even this reader, who at one time aspired to become an organic chemist. You could safely skim this stuff and pay attention to the human interactions, which are very nicely done, and get better when he really hits his stride, about 75 pages in. So, don't give up if you try it!
For me, the really fascinating stuff was his insights into the founding of a plausible biotech startup company in California in the 1980s (something Djerassi had done), and the nitty-gritty details of how to make a scientific idea into a successful commercial product. Not an easy thing to do! And Djerassi's characters really come to life, with endearing (or not) personal quirks, personal growth under pressure and a plausibly happy ending. Very good book, after the slow start. Djerassi includes a bunch of other interesting stuff about human (and other mammalian) internal chemistry. Even a cool little divertissimo into newt sex! Recommended for scientists, Lab-Lit and hard-SF fans.
The first really successful treatment of erectile dysfunction turned out to be Viagra (Sildenafil), which involves NO but with a much different metabolic pathway. And, the mechanism for administering the fictional drug was a small plastic pill-holder to be inserted deep into the user's urethra! This was based on an actual proposal, but which had no chance of competing against a simple oral pill. Viagra went on the market in 1998, the year this book was published.
There are two first-rate reviews at Amazon, both from 1998, both by working scientists, including one who calls NO the "fourth and best of his science-in-fiction tetralogy." I agree.
Cover blurbs: http://www.djerassi.com/noeng.html
I liked this book a lot, although it starts out with some difficult technical reading that challenged even this reader, who at one time aspired to become an organic chemist. You could safely skim this stuff and pay attention to the human interactions, which are very nicely done, and get better when he really hits his stride, about 75 pages in. So, don't give up if you try it!
For me, the really fascinating stuff was his insights into the founding of a plausible biotech startup company in California in the 1980s (something Djerassi had done), and the nitty-gritty details of how to make a scientific idea into a successful commercial product. Not an easy thing to do! And Djerassi's characters really come to life, with endearing (or not) personal quirks, personal growth under pressure and a plausibly happy ending. Very good book, after the slow start. Djerassi includes a bunch of other interesting stuff about human (and other mammalian) internal chemistry. Even a cool little divertissimo into newt sex! Recommended for scientists, Lab-Lit and hard-SF fans.
The first really successful treatment of erectile dysfunction turned out to be Viagra (Sildenafil), which involves NO but with a much different metabolic pathway. And, the mechanism for administering the fictional drug was a small plastic pill-holder to be inserted deep into the user's urethra! This was based on an actual proposal, but which had no chance of competing against a simple oral pill. Viagra went on the market in 1998, the year this book was published.
There are two first-rate reviews at Amazon, both from 1998, both by working scientists, including one who calls NO the "fourth and best of his science-in-fiction tetralogy." I agree.
Cover blurbs: http://www.djerassi.com/noeng.html
October 5, 2021
Djerassi's "science-in-fiction" is good, his fiction-in-science is not.
I enjoyed his descriptions of what it takes to do research, get funding, start a company, get a product through FDA approval, etc. The problem is his fiction.
Narration is a mess. He uses a third person narrator AND first person narration (in italics) with different characters, writing as if the person is thinking or speaking to him/herself. Aside for my distaste of reading large passages that are italicized, his overly dramatic first person narration is rather bad: "I was taken aback, coming home to find Renu Krishnan kibitizing with Adam and Menachem over their checkers game. When I noticed Renu's discomfort my surprise turned into embarassment. She was about to embark on a hasty retreat when Menachem made a remark that changed everything." It's a pattern of his - make a dramatic statement and on the next page explain in third person why the person thought that. Clunky at best. Why not stick to a third person narration?
Djerassi has odd descriptions of characters like:
"... his combed, silvery hair quivering ever so slightly with the pumping motion of his enthusiastic handshake. Yet the touch of his well groomed hands and long fingers was gentle, his skin had a manly softness that one usually associates with pediatricians."
Not only is it sexist (to assume pediatricians are male) I've yet to hear a woman comment on the manly softness of any man's hands.
His central character is practically a Marvel superhero: beautiful, brilliant, charming, with completely regular menstrual cycles, and of course, almost always orgasmic during intercourse. How do we know that? Because in a first person section she tells us. He also tells us about her pubic hair. Why? I haven't a clue.
Sadly I recommend just saying no to NO.
I enjoyed his descriptions of what it takes to do research, get funding, start a company, get a product through FDA approval, etc. The problem is his fiction.
Narration is a mess. He uses a third person narrator AND first person narration (in italics) with different characters, writing as if the person is thinking or speaking to him/herself. Aside for my distaste of reading large passages that are italicized, his overly dramatic first person narration is rather bad: "I was taken aback, coming home to find Renu Krishnan kibitizing with Adam and Menachem over their checkers game. When I noticed Renu's discomfort my surprise turned into embarassment. She was about to embark on a hasty retreat when Menachem made a remark that changed everything." It's a pattern of his - make a dramatic statement and on the next page explain in third person why the person thought that. Clunky at best. Why not stick to a third person narration?
Djerassi has odd descriptions of characters like:
"... his combed, silvery hair quivering ever so slightly with the pumping motion of his enthusiastic handshake. Yet the touch of his well groomed hands and long fingers was gentle, his skin had a manly softness that one usually associates with pediatricians."
Not only is it sexist (to assume pediatricians are male) I've yet to hear a woman comment on the manly softness of any man's hands.
His central character is practically a Marvel superhero: beautiful, brilliant, charming, with completely regular menstrual cycles, and of course, almost always orgasmic during intercourse. How do we know that? Because in a first person section she tells us. He also tells us about her pubic hair. Why? I haven't a clue.
Sadly I recommend just saying no to NO.
February 7, 2017
"Science in fiction" is an interesting concept, and at times it worked in this book. But the rest of the book was boring and not as engaging for me.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews