White Devils

by Paul McAuley

Plague, civil war, and uncontrolled experiments in genetic engineering have caused widespread chaos and devastation throughout Africa. Nicholas Hyde is part of a team of forensic pathologists investigating a massacre in the swamp forest of the northern Congo when an armed band of ferocious ape-like creatures attack. Nick survives, but finds that he's at the center of a massive cover-up.

For although the "white devils" that killed Nick's friends were almost certainly the result of illegal genetic manipulation, Obligate, the environmentally conscious transnational now controlling this part of the Congo, denies that they exist, and ruthlessly suppresses all evidence to the contrary. Although he has secrets of his own to conceal, Nick becomes determined to uncover the origin of the mysterious creatures -- and why certain individuals are prepared to resort to murder to bury the truth.

But even the atrocities he has already witnessed cannot prepare him for the terrifying secrets he uncovers on his journey into the wrecked heart of Africa, and the birthplace of the white devils.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Thriller, Horror, Dystopia, Science Fiction Fantasy, Novels

537 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 31, 2004

About the author

Since about 2000, book jackets have given his name as just Paul McAuley.

A biologist by training, UK science fiction author McAuley writes mostly hard science fiction, dealing with themes such as biotechnology, alternate history/alternate reality, and space travel.

McAuley has also used biotechnology and nanotechnology themes in near-future settings.

Since 2001, he has produced several SF-based techno-thrillers such as The Secret of Life, Whole Wide World, and White Devils.

Four Hundred Billion Stars, his first novel, won the Philip K. Dick Award in 1988. Fairyland won the 1996 Arthur C. Clarke Award and the 1997 John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best SF Novel.

Reviews

[Scotchneat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite a good book. I read it on the heels of Atwood's The Year of the Flood, which provided an interesting context.

Without giving too much away, an archeologist for hire cum civilian mercenary in Africa witnesses a massacre of his co-workers and some soldiers by "white devils" - bipeds that look like mutant albino chimps who are capable of organized hunting and handling weapons.

When the megacorp that now runs the Congo kills the story, he sets out to find and prove the truth of what happens. During that journey, he finds out also about the "Gentle People" - humanids living on a protected island watched over by the genius scientist who created them.

Through the mystery/adventure, there's a lot to think about in terms of genetic modifications,and in the vying institutions in this near-future world. Where fundamentalists roam around as killers for hire, megacorp owns whole countries and uses all of their resources in the name of "green development".

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

We get a cross here between Michael Crichton (especially his "Congo") and Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness." It's a future Africa, which has become hell on Earth, with plagues, civil war, and genetic engineering out-of-control. Nick is our hero, a former British soldier who is a survivor of an attack of "white apes" in the Congo. He is determined to find out the origins of the creatures...This is a techno-thriller with a lot of action, published in 2004. And, at over 500 pages, a little too long-1/3 of it could be cut. I hate to say it but I got tired of it, and I do like these kind of science thrillers!

[Ian Mapp · Rating 2 out of 5]

Picked up on a whim, whilst popping into stourport library.

Not my type of book at all and i was disappointed to find out it was sci-fi.

It is a 21st Century re-working of Heart of Darkness where everything has gone wrong in the near future - Plastic Disease, gene mutations and all out war.

The pace is relentless and the main thrust of the story is our hero, Nicholas Hyde, himself a clone of his dead brother, first observing these things called white devils that attack the peace corps he is with. He then has to out the secretive organisation that is responsibile for them and have a few battles along the way.

The white devils are mutant hybrid chimpaneze/humans that have been cloned from human embryos... this was the twist, whcih was onvious from quite early on. There was a sister experiment to develop peace loving mutants.

I suppose it was well written and exciting enough and the science was credible and near future enough to be believable, but the big thing is you have to like this kind of stuff, and frankly, I don't!

Dont think I will be going back for more.

[Matt Hutson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just awful! I got 122 pages in and just couldn't finish it. The descriptions were too lengthy and often pointless. For a while I was thinking that I might pick this book up later but then decided that it wasn't worth my time.

The only exciting bits in this book was when the main character and his team of researchers along with military escorts from Africa encounter the 'white devils' while investigating a massacre. While at the massacre the team and military escorts end up becoming part of the massacred except for our main character and a government official who ends up covering up the story saying a bunch of rabid genetically altered kids attacked and killed them all.

These 'white devils' were covered up for a reason. Because they were genetically engineered by the government. I suppose the government has other secrets to hide but I didn't want to read to find out. The book was flat and disengaging. No wonder the ratings for this book are hideous. This is highly not recommended.

[Matthew Fray · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is good; a near-future thriller that makes you want to keep reading. But it does feel rather mechanical. The characters seem to be there to serve the plot and generally fail to come alive; particularly the lead, Nicholas Hyde, who has a secret of his own which is explained but never confronted. In fact the part of his backstory that he simply tells to the female lead could have been written fully as part of the novel. It would have given Hyde's character real meat. As it is you are given the bare bones. At 650 pages, it feels too long, some sequences seem repetitive. The whole thing is very episodic and a two or threes less episodes would have made it a lot tighter.

[Michael Battaglia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah, murderous gorillas of enhanced intelligence killing people left and right in the mysterious wilds of Africa . . . its always a pleasure to revisit Michael Crichton's long forgotten "Cong-

Oh wait, no, nevermind. This is something else. Paul McAuley has spent most of his career getting a reputation as a pretty decent SF writer (at least I liked him) with books like "Fairyland" and "Pasquale's Angel" but around 2001 he started going with a series of unrelated techno-thrillers that had some vague SF underpinnings, mostly in how future technology was used. I remember two of them ("The Secret of Life" and "Whole Wide World") not being too bad but certainly not mind-blowing and now I'm just getting to a book he published in 2004, so its possible he's shifted styles again since then.

Here, though, we have a near future that doesn't seem that great to live in unless you're rich (although none of the rich folk do so hot here either) where rampant genetic experimentation in Africa has pretty much wrecked the place, causing bizarre plagues (a large number of people have died from the Black Flu some time in the recent past) and strange changes in the landscape (a disease that converts everything to plastic, including people). Various organizations are working inside Africa and its with one of them that former British Army soldier Nick Hyde is involved with when he's witness and survivor to everyone around him getting killed by a group of fast-moving intelligent apes that also appear to understand how to use firearms. But when he gives this story to the local authorities, they tell him pish-tosh, all you saw were white-painted rebels and certainly not homicidal genetically altered apes. What a imaginative mind you have, ha ha!

And thus the cover-up begins and thus Nick starts to do his best to uncover the cover-up, despite almost every single person he comes into contact with attempting to silence him, kill him or some combination of the two. Most of this is due to the machinations of Obligate, a giant corporation that controls part of the Congo and at times seems like a creepier version of Scientology, with an emotional readjustment technique that seems to readjust everyone to the placid state of being high all the time. One of their scientific higher ups wants him dead and isn't very concerned about who gets in the way, which leads to nothing but fun times for Ol' Nick.

Meanwhile we sometimes check in with the ex-husband of the woman trying to murder Nick, who is in his own nature reserve watching over a clan that he calls "The Gentle People" and occasionally letting his archeologist daughter check in on him. There's also a band of mercenaries led by a racist, religious nut roaming around just for a change of pace here and there.

Its got a lot going on and yet . . . not a lot. The main story is pretty much the only focus and while the other characters act as interesting sideshows, given how McAuley ruthlessly prunes away anything extraneous as to where the plot ultimately wants to go, you have to wonder if he's just padding the book out sometimes or giving the characters other stuff to do until they're useful. The setting itself is worth a look, a damaged Africa with some pretty awful landscapes and everyone inside scrambling about either trying to save it or make a buck for themselves. McAuley does his best to extrapolate the hazards of genetic engineering in both small and large ways, whether its the Dead Zone where nature runs badly rampant or in the physical modifications that some soldiers have made to themselves. He captures the feel of moving from town to town, village to village, with an ex-pat's eye, having to hustle and stay under the radar while being forced to come up with plans on the fly to avoid having all your hard work undone.

And for the most part it works, at least for a good chunk of it. Nick is movie-resourceful, which means he's endlessly capable (and never seems to run out of money) and despite never having seen combat with the British Army, they must have a decent training program because he's able to outthink and outsmart almost everyone he comes into contact with, or at least take advantage of lucky breaks. McAuley crosscuts the various narratives with a sense of inevitability, even when some sections seem clearly less important than the others (all of Cody's scenes mostly seem to involve him murdering people or acting like a well-armed zealot). He details how a corporation can rigidly control information and if anything the book suffers by not going enough into that aspect of how Obligate got such complete control and how it exerts its pull . . . for the most part they seem to do whatever they want and we find out about it later, generally when a stranger pulls a gun on Nick.

Its the political maneuvering I wanted more of, frankly, but McAuley chooses to go with a "Heart of Darkness" type scenario instead, having our heroes push deeper into the continent to find the source of the "white devils" and if you're thinking the solution can't lie in some backwater camp run by a intelligent person of dubious sanity while civilization gradually winds its way backwards, then perhaps you shouldn't go and read "Heart of Darkness" or you'll be very disappointed. However, for those who find 19th century literally too staid you'll be pleased to find out that there are far more wall to wall explosions and discharged ammunition in this book, enough to make you look for a co-author credit for Michael Bay.

It makes for an exciting climax but sort of squanders the ethical and scientific dilemmas that the first sections of the book started to bring up in exchange for a more straightforward "man against the Man" premise. Of course, he's slaughtered most of the cast by this point so the only thing left is to whip out the firearms . . . but it does feel like a letdown, especially since the explanations behind the killer apes isn't that shocking and the man behind it all is like "Oops."

He does make time for a romance, which is nice, although this feels more perfunctory than anything else but by the end I feel the strands of the plot leave more questions than answers. What was the point of the Gentle People? Why did we never see Dr Dave or understand better how he came about? Why don't we get more information on how the plagues have ravaged Africa and how the rest of the world let it happen? What's all the stuff with engrams? At times it feels like McAuley had a more hard SF book written and tossed out some of the science to make it sexier. The book does move despite all the scenes that might be less than essential and its present tense prose bothered me less than it seems to have bugged other people (I've written stories using that tense so maybe I'm just used to it) . . . its got enough promise and ideas to make it worth a look but I feel like couldn't decide whether to go for the Michael Crichton crowd that wants an interesting science idea extrapolated into an exciting adventure story or the crowd that wants a hardcore scientific examination of the issues raised with a slightly less urgent plot. Both approaches have their merits but without sitting firmly in either camp it may be that McAuley was doomed from the start. "Dinosaur park gone out of control" is a good hook, "another example of the mess we've made of the world" is called the newspaper and I get one of those every day.

[Nicolas · Rating 3 out of 5]

ce roman est assez intriguant.
D'abord, parce qu'il place le lecteur de SF que je suis dans un environement inhabituel : l'Afrique du milieu du XXIème siècle.
Ensuite parce qu'il traite de thèmes somme toute communs en les prenant "à l'envers".
Et enfin parce qu'il utilise une construction tout à fait typique du roman d'aventure/action.
Mais reprenons du début.
Notre héros s'appelle Nicholas Hyde, il est quasi-légiste, chargé de donner un nom et une mémoire aux innombrables victimes d'un quelconque génocide africain (attention, je ne dis pas ça de manière péjorative, c'est juste le ressenti qu'à le héros de son travail) quand il est victime avec ses collègues d'une attaque étrange, qui va peu à peu le faire tomber dans un complot plutôt étrange. Et si j'en dis plus, je dépasserai les spoilers admissibles ... que je me sens autorisé à lancer à partir de maintenant.
Comme je le disais en ouverture, l'oeuvre dans laquelle on plonge est assez intriguante. Une partie de cet aspect provient de la construction même du roman : Nick va se mettre à la recherche de la vérité dans une Afrique où elle est beaucoup plus variable que dans notre vieille Europe. Et bien, sûr, l'un des jeux de l'auteur avec son lecteur sera d'essayer de le perdre dans les circonvolutions de ce complot plutôt mal fagotté visant à masquer quelques traces. Ca n'est pas forcément la chose la plus intéressante dans cette histoire.
Ce qui m'a beaucoup plus intéressé, c'est le questionnement constant sur les limites de ce qu'est un humain. Entre Nick lui-même dont on apprend la nature avec beaucoup de retard (mais peu de surprise pour moi, justement à cause de mon historique de lecteur de SF), les aimables et les diables blancs, la question dans ce roman n'est pas de savoir jusqu'où va l'humain dans l'avenir, mais à partir de quel moment on est humain. Je m'explique : ces diables blancs et ces aimab les sont tous les deux des espèces mutant à partir d'êtres humains, mais mutant dans le but de remonter l'arbre de notre évolution. Ainsi, ils essayent initiallement de se rapprocher des australopithèques. Mais sont-ils encore humains ? C'est à mon avis à cette question que ce roman tente de répondre.
Hélas, le succès n'est pas forcément au rendez-vous, car dans le même temps l'auteur essaye de dresser un portrait réaliste de l'Afrique, ce qui nuit malheureusement aux visées scientifiques de cet ouvrage.
Je dois dire que cet aspect, ainsi que l'écriture assez froide de l'auteur, m'ont conduit à une lecture prudente, au ralenti (comme sur une piste de brousse) de ce roman épais et complexe. Non pas qu'il soit mauvais. Je le trouve même intéressant, en un sens, mais d'un abord très ardu.
Bref, un livre à réserver aux amateurs avertis.

[Allan Dyen-Shapiro · Rating 5 out of 5]

The strength of this book was its characters. They all seemed very real to me. The environmental terrorists, the corporate sell-outs, the flaky brain-burned types, etc. A second strength is the adept use of science, most of which was kept relatively plausible. Some nice touches--I really liked the plastic disease--and yes, even though the idea of bacteria engineered for transforming plants would be picked up by black flies is implausible (and there were several other implausibilities), there were enough good ideas that I was willing to suspend disbelief.

In the first 2/3 of the book, it shifted sets of characters each chapter, didn't worry too much about letting the reader follow the plot, and focused on the interactions of the diverse set of truly strong characters. That was the really strong part of the book. Then, to simplify things, the author killed off virtually all of the characters. We were left with the two who survived the book--and he threw in a quick sexual encounter before the last of the others were killed. So, the last part of the book was more standard thriller plotting.

An enjoyable book. Strongly recommended.

[KotayaLu · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was kinda MEH. I mean I did enjoy it while I was reading it, despite the fact the at least a third of this book could have been cut out (I'm talking about all the description of things that did not neeed to be described and also about the terrible thing the author kept doing - repeating the whole names of the people - like what the hell was that Mr. McAuley?!).
But After I finished it, I seriously think that in a week I won't remember any of it. It wasn't memorable in any way, most of the characters died, so I couldn't even bring myself to care for any of them and even the story wasn't as good and thought-provoking as it was desperately trying to be.
For all of these reasons I am giving it two stars.

[Anonangus · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story revolves around Nicholas Hyde and his experience with genetically engineered monsters called White Devils. The Devils have a history that is slowly revealed throughout the book. Nick himself has a secret of his own revolving around the fact that his mother cloned him after her dead son.

To be quite honest... I only read the book when I was utterly bored on the airplane ride going to India. The book itself has a wonderful narrative, but the characters and the story didn't really pull me in.

Though that is my opinion... so go read the book for yourself!

[Amaya · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't even know why I finished it. Or where did I get the strength to finished this crap.

I remember I was in ep48, starting the chapter, I just yelled and ask what is happening in this book? What is this book?? Why are all the characters dying? Why is the lead guy, Nicholas, so dumb??? Why did that thing happened to Cody???!!!!! Whyyy?????

I am soo angry I can't write a proper review to this. I guess this doesn't deserve any anyways -.-

This is the worst book I have ever, as in ever read in my entire 20+ years of my life. =.=

[Bonnie · Rating 2 out of 5]

NOT his best. Good SF setup (bio-plague, cults taking over whole countries, genetic manipulation, bringing Australopithecus back) but the story was "meh." Too many times we got to know someone and their situations -- next thing you know the characters were killed and the place burned down -- rug pulled out from under you. Something wrong with the follow through of the setups.
Paul McCauley has lots of good books but I didn't think was one of them.

[Shawn Davies · Rating 3 out of 5]

Come back Michael Crichton, all is forgiven! Whilst I realise that that is a big ask, some editorial control over Paul McAuley's near future techno thriller would have been welcome. Lots of ideas but far too much exposition. When you find yourself scim reading, that is not a good sign.

[Dee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genetic engineering gone amok! It got a bit bogged down in places, but I had to see how it ended and I hate to peek.

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

If your idea of a good time is 662 pages of fast paced ill advised genetic manipulation deep jungle near future mayhem then this one is definitely for you!

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this fast-paced thriller and its interesting theories on genehacking. Felt a couple of the revelations at the end perhaps didn't resonate with me as they could've done but overall thoroughly relished this - no idea why all so many reviews complain about descriptions, which I felt were well crafted and not drawn out.

[Becky Beaman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cross between Michael Crichton and Dan Brown -- Jurassic Park but with murder and mayhem with overtones of religious fanaticism. Very readable, I found it enjoyable...

[Em Schrtr · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a dystopian future that's a bit too close to where we are now, it is unsettling and a great read.

[Philip · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothin' special. Just messin' about in the jungle really.

It's pretty obvious what the white devils are and I don't reckon it's a spolier when I say they are clones of early man, austrabollokus or something (in italics of course) conceived by a scurrulous scientist in the backwaters of the Congo.

All the standard ingredients are present.

Hero (reluctant, but worthy strong and brave)
Bit of crumpet (black, deminuative)
Villian (eco-warrior turned nasty. Reminds me of John Sharrow from Gemmel's Jerusalem novels).
Various other competent/incompetent army personnel.
Selection of expendables.

All rather predictable really, and halfway through it got rather dull. Glad to finish it. Don't bust a gut to find this, unless, of course, you've got nothing better to do.

[Bookmarks Magazine]

With its mantra against genetic engineering, White Devils raises natural comparisons to the works of Michael Crichton and, with its leap into Africa's modern heart of darkness, Joseph Conrad. Critics agree that McAuley, a British biologist-turned-award-winning SF writer, has written a minor thriller masterpiece. It's smart, appropriately sinister, and has a plot that "roars along like a bushfire, crackling with fast and brutal action" (Guardian). McAuley's message is clear--runaway genetic engineering leads to no good, not to mention plastic vegetation. His examination of biotechnology's implications complements other provoking themes, including lost childhood innocence and the ethics of military conflict. But McAuley's no alarmist. After reading this thriller, you'll see him as a realist.

This is an excerpt from a review published in Bookmarks magazine.

[Xarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story itself was really interesting, looking at environmental problems, cultural problems, war, and science gone too far. I enjoyed how McAuley makes the technology and science just far enough in the future to seem a little unreal, but not far enough to make it seem as though it won't happen. It was very believable in that regard.

I also really enjoyed how he's been intertwining novels. I've also read "The Secret of Life," "The Quiet War," and "Gardens of the Sun." In this novel and "The Secret of Life," McAuley brings in some of the same ideas and people/companies. In "The Quiet War" and "Gardens of the Sun," he continues what he started, but set the time even further in the future. I really enjoyed reading those connections and the epic grow. I can't wait to read his other novels and see where they fit in to his world(s)!

[Garyjn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. A SciFi/thriller in the style of Crichton. Some interesting concepts explored by McCauley include gene engineering, a new illness called the plastic disease, the creation of a "Dead Zone" area in Africa, and the aftermath of world-wide plague. He also gets into African politics and the influence of global conglomerates. The final showdown is pretty much standard thriller, but overall, I would recommend this to SciFi fans, particularly those of Michael Crichton.

[Marc · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://bibliotheca.skynetblogs.be/pos...

[Mikey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eerily believable. A page-turning sci-fi thriller. In the same vein as Michael Chricton.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

great biothriller

[Peter · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too slow.DNF