The Genome

Геном #2

by Sergei Lukyanenko

"The Genome" is a new science fiction thriller by the author of the bestselling Night Watch series.In the far-future world of Alexander Romanov, humankind is divided into "naturals" and "speshes"--those who have been genetically modified to serve a specific purpose. Alex is a master pilot capable of maneuvering the dangerous realm of space by communicating directly with his ship. He is about to take on the most mysterious and challenging mission of his life when he happens upon Kim, a teenage girl with a desperate secret. Out of a sense of friendship, he agrees to help her, but this decision will end in conflict and tragedy for dozens of worlds.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Russia, Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Russian Literature, Ebooks

496 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Сергей Лукьяненко (Russian)
Szergej Lukjanyenko (Hungarian)
Sergejs Lukjaņenko (Latvian)
Sergey Lukyanenko
Sergej Luk'janenko (Italian)
Сергей Лукяненко (Bulgarian)
Sergej Lukianenko (German)
Siergiej Łukjanienko (Polish)
Sergej Lukjaněnko (Czech)

Sergei Lukyanenko (as his name appears on books and films in U.S. markets) is a science-fiction and fantasy author, writing in Russian, and is arguably the most popular contemporary Russian sci-fi writer. His works often feature intense action-packed plots, interwoven with the moral dilemma of keeping one's humanity while being strong.

Lukyanenko is a prolific writer, releasing usually 1-2 books per year, as well as a number of a critical articles and short stories. Recently his works have been adapted into film productions, for which he wrote the screenplays. He lives in Moscow with his wife Sonia and two sons, Artemiy and Danil, keeps mice as pets and enjoys cooking.

Reviews

[Althea Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

According to the author, this book was intended as a parody of space opera.
("In the closing section, Lukyanenko hides a sort of acrostic message for his readers: "This novel is a parody of space opera and cyberpunk. The author values your sense of humor..."")

Glancing through some of the other reviews of the book, it's clear that quite a few readers missed the 'parody' element. And honestly, I'm not sure it really comes through. Maybe something was lost in translation? At many points, the book reads like an imitation of Heinlein-type SF.
Having read the author's 'Nightwatch' series (and enjoyed them very much), I trust him that he's intending to poke fun of sexist (and racist) tropes by, for example, having the captain get it on with every female character, or having a black, female, spacer who is clearly the most qualified member of the crew automatically fall into a role of serving drinks. (Good thing she wasn't "a feminist; no one could have gotten her into a kitchen, even at gunpoint.") And that's not even mentioning the genetically engineered, 14-year-old nymphomaniac...

I suspect there are other elements to the humor that may have flown over my head due to different cultural reference points.

There can be a fine line between imitation and parody, and for some of this I think you kinda had to be in on the joke.

I also had difficulty with the structure of the book. The beginning was promising, with a nice quick setup. And then the new captain has to gather his crew. Fully 66% of the book is devoted to this crew-gathering process, to the point where I was saying, "is there going to be an actual plot here at all?"

Yes, there is. Over half-way through the book, there's a murder - and the book becomes a standard murder-mystery genre entry - complete with Sherlock Holmes and Watson. The abrupt shift is unexpected and jarring; I didn't feel it worked that well.

It all concludes with rather a lot of meaningful philosophizing, which works better if you were taking the book as a serious work, rather than reading it as a tongue-in-cheek parody. I found myself not knowing quite what to think.

Many thanks to NetGalley and to Open Road media for the opportunity to read this book. As always, my opinions are solely my own.

[Metodi Markov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Много приятна социална фантастика, поднесена ни вещо от Лукяненко.

Ред съвпадения, познати и непознати препратки и герои, стабилна криминална интрига а ла Агата Кристи, с главен разследващ - един неумолим клонинг на Шерлок Холмс! :)

Хареса ми и Алекс Романов, точно в стил Стругацки е изпипан.

Оправи ми настроението и ми е жал, че Инфодар най-вероятно въобще нямат намерение да издават останалите части на поредицата. "Геном" е 2 част от серия, но може да се прочете и като самостоятелен роман.

Art by Romain Jouandeau

[Stephanie Swint · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sergei Lukyanenko is an author I will pick up even if the book doesn't sound like something I will like. His Night Watch Series is amazing. I loved getting the perspective of a Russian author, a non-western perspective, of fantasy and science fiction. When I saw this was available I snapped it up even though I'm not generally a fan of space opera. I enjoyed it. Lukyanenko successfully created an interesting futuristic world. People are part of a socially stratified society of Naturals, Speshes, Clones, and Others . Speshes are humans whose parents paid to have them genetically augmented for a profession. You have fighter speshes, captain speshes, and even street cleaning speshes. Naturals are humans that were born without augmentation and are seen as less than speshes. Clones are below speshes, and Others are aliens. Naturally each group has their prejudices. The social stratification and focus on difference is integral to this novel. The first half is impeccable. The second half, unfortunately, isn't on the same level.

Alex, a pilot, who recently has been released from hospital with only the clothes on his back is our main character. He heads into the city on the train to find a job. On that train he finds an orphan juvenile spesh on the verge of metamorphosis. Speshes genetic augmentations don't fully realize until metamorphosis in the teenage years, but what this young juvenile is doing on her own at such a time makes no sense. As a pilot spesh his sense of responsibility is enhanced pushing him to spend the small amount of money he has on food and a room for the juvenile to go through her metamorphosis in. To fund this undertaking he takes a questionable job. It makes him a captain and comes with the added benefit of picking his own crew, but it clearly is to good to be true. This part of the book was interesting. I fell into a trance and I didn't allow myself to be interrupted from it.

The second part, where the crew is on the ship, gets convoluted. They are flying Zzygou tourists, an alien race similar to humans. Every crew member has a reason to not want to fly to the destination of Edem, fly with the Zzygou companion of a clone, or fly with Others. When one of the Zzygou is murdered on the ship it is learned she is an important figure. A detective clone, by the name of Holmes, and his assistant ,Watson, are brought on the ship to determine who the murderer is. They must solve the case or war will break out, a war that will only end with the extermination of two civilizations.

The book delves into what makes a person human, unique, and individual. Part of a pilot's specialization leaves him without the ability to love. Alex implanted an emotion sensor in the shape of a demon to allow him to read the emotions he doesn't feel. He consults it regularly. His curiosity for the emotion of love and what it would mean to have it grows as he enters into sexual relationships with his crew members. This caused me some frustration. The two women on board are vastly different but are also blatant stereotypes. They are cardboard. I normally would see this as a literary failing in the book but the speshes are created to be stereotypes. They are genetically engineered stereotypes. Lukyanenko sheds light on this in later chapters. The captain, however, entered into a sexual relationship with the young fighter spesh he helped through her metamorphosis. She is also a hetaera spesh, similar to a geisha, that is genetically enhanced to provide sexual pleasure and fall in love with her companions for the brief amount of time she is with them. The genetic alteration seems to excuse what the reader will see as an irresponsible and predatory act. Lukyanenko addresses this too. It is an interesting facet of the book. Lukyanenko utilizes this along with other poignant situations to show how this genetic alteration takes both feeling and freedoms away leaving a level of servitude that is questionable. I recognize what he is doing, but I'm not sure I find the gender role stereotyping or situations excusable even though he is using them to make a point. If it had been executed better I wonder if I might feel differently.

I applaud the concept and truly enjoyed the first half of the book. The second half is not executed as well and leaves Lukyanenko's impact to fall a bit short. I would still recommend this for the world building, and interesting concept. I would recommend this for fans of space opera. For those who love the Night Watch series this is not fantasy and may not satisfy.

I received this from NetGalley and Open Road Integrated Media in return for an honest review.

[Carly · Rating 2 out of 5]

~2.5

**Note: this review is of an uncorrected advanced reader copy. While the included quotes may not reflect the final phrasing, I believe they are characteristic of the novel as a whole.**

How much can we tinker with our talents and inclinations before we encroach upon free will? This is the question that The Genome seeks to answer. It’s a complex and fascinating problem. A pity that such a fine concept was clad in such tawdry garb.

Science fiction explores our imaginations, but it also reveals our limits. If you’ve ever read classic science fiction, then you’ve encountered this phenomenon: a centuries-future world with hovercrafts and androids, but where people still smoke and use payphones, where women still wear tight dresses and take secretarial jobs, where white upper-class Americans dominate all they see. Contemporary science fiction is surely just as myopic, but our vision is too clouded to see its limitations. Unfortunately, I think The Genome’s blindspots were a little too gratingly obvious.

The Genome takes place in a far-future world where the empire of humanity has expanded outward to new planets. Humans have encountered, warred with, and eventually constructed a tenuous peace with other alien races. The most dramatic change in humanity is the changes within. Expectant parents now have the choice to make their child into a “spesh,” a genetically-modified specialist in a particular occupation. Alex’s parents decided to make him a pilot. He is endowed with supernaturally fast reflexes, phenomenal balance, and the ability to bond with the “soul” of the ships he pilots. But while his specialty granted him tremendous skills, it also took away his ability to love, substituting an eternal passion for the stars. Alex has no sooner been released from the hospital when he runs into new trouble in the form of a young female warrior-spesh. And then there’s the suspiciously well-timed and tempting offer as ship’s captain. Alex knows his new position is too good to be true, and now he’s just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Science fiction is all about transposing our prejudices into a different space so that we can examine them from a new angle. The Genome certainly tries to do this. It introduces bigotry against clones, against aliens, against speshes, against normals. But the book is also enmeshed in casual racism, sexism, and homophobia, and none of these brands of prejudice are confronted within the novel.

As one major theme of the book is Alex’s quest for love, the rather problematic portrayal of female characters is glaringly evident. To put it frankly, this book is such a male fantasy that I felt a bit out of place. All of the human female characters express interest in the protagonist, and more than one take it a good deal further. Take Kim, the female warrior-spesh that Alex picks up in the beginning of the novel. Kim provides a perfect example of informed abilities. In the opening scene, she beats up a gang trying to rape her, just in time to fall helplessly into Alex’s arms and transform into a needy damsel-in-distress. For the rest of the novel, she is immature and kittenish, described as “highly emotional, amorous, devoted,” and varying her wide-eyed adoration of Alex with lustful attempts to seduce him. As one character puts it to Alex, she’s just a “Poor little girl, watches you with adoration, follows you around like a puppy.”

Honestly, the whole book felt to me like a continual, low-level assault on feminism. A few examples of the sorts of comments that litter the text:

“Janet was already bustling around in there. Alex happily noted her willingness to get snacks ready. Had Janet been a feminist, no one could have gotten her into a kitchen, even at gunpoint.”

“She may have had the same intentions, or perhaps she did it out of every woman’s ineradicable need to look as seductive as possible.”

[Alex’s treatment of one of his crew] “[He] slapped her on her behind so that she let out a happy little squeal.”

“‘Traditionally, female crew members do not abide by this rule [of standing] and a salute the captain’s arrival with a nod...or a charming smile.’ And she turned around, demonstrating that smile to Alex.”

“Somehow outer space always increased women’s longing for same-sex love, and Alex would have gotten jealous...had he felt more than just a friendly attraction to Kim.”

“Women shouldn’t be proud of their battle wounds. Without the tooth marks, you’d be much more attractive.”

All the incidental female characters are objectified and transformed into caricatures of their gender. Women in any vaguely nontraditional roles aren’t referred to by their jobs unless they are prefixed by “girl-”, and women tend to be referred to as “girls” rather than “women.” “Spiders”--technical accountant types-- are referred to as “she-spiders.” Kim is referred to as a “girl-fighter” rather than a “fighter.” The women run around “bursting into sobs,” having “hysterical outbursts,” and making eyes at Alex. I got the distinct impression that the far-too-frequent sex scenes, including some VR scenes, were making the author salivate.

To be clear, I don’t think that building a sexist world is a problem, especially if the author goes on to construct interesting, dynamic female characters within the constraints of the world. But in this case, we are told that equality was won, yet the characters contradict it with every word and action. The book doesn’t just fail the Bechdel test; it does so epically. Take one of those girls-only moments:

“We were … we were gossipping, you know. Girl to girl!” She looked at Alex again. He nodded, catching on. No, it wasn’t sex, after all. If there was anything erotic about it, it was in some minimal, trivial form--crying on each other’s shoulder, patting each other, maybe a little kissing.
They had been discussing him!”

Because that’s what women do when the men aren’t around, obviously.
To put it frankly, this book's portrayal of women left me, as a female reader, feeling rather out of place.

And as for the sexuality bias? Well, apart from the "women-in-space-go-lesbian" quote from above, here's another example:

“Captain, no one treats women more tenderly and gently than we gays!”

The single token black character, Janet, comes from a warlike planet called Eben (yep, as in “ebony.”) We are reminded repeatedly of her countrymen’s primitive savagery, often paired with references to Janet’s race. A few statistics: by my count, there were 20 mentions of her skin color, 10 references to her as “the black woman,” and 5 as “the black lady.” For comparative purposes, I noticed zero references to any of the other characters by race outside of an initial description. How could a future broadened by new worlds and new species be so fettered by the racism of our past?

The core idea of the book--an exploration as to how our social origins affect our agency, is fascinating. I loved the tensions between the speshes and the normals. But honestly? I think Myke Cole does a better job with the latter, and the book is too beset by its own unacknowledged prejudices to effectively tackle the former. If you’re not going to be thrown by the types of issues I mentioned, then sure, maybe this book will be fun. But as for me, I want my scifi to stretch my thinking, not assault me with bigotry. I want to look forward, not back.

~~I received this ebook from the publisher, Open Road Integrated Media, in exchange for my honest review.~~

Excerpted from my review on BookLikes, which contains additional quotes, comments, and spoilers that I was too lazy to copy over.

[Jill · Rating 1 out of 5]

Alex Romanov is a 34-year-old master pilot “spesh” - someone who is genetically enhanced to perform a specific function (such as piloting a space craft).

Leaving the hospital on the planet Quicksilver Pit, where he was recovering from a space accident, Alex encounters Kim O’Hara, a 14-year-old “fighter-spesh” who seems in need of rescuing. Alex’s pilot-spesh genes are programmed to make him want to take care of others, even if the capacity for love has been eliminated from him. He can’t help taking care of Kim, who is just going through her spesh-metamorphosis, and needs nursing care, food, and shelter. But Alex is broke and at the moment, jobless.

Miraculously, he finds a job with an immediate opening for a Master-Pilot, for which he will receive an immediate signing bonus, so he takes the job, and takes care of Kim. He further decides to take her on the ship as part of his crew since he will need a fighter-spesh.

He also takes on four others: a co-pilot, a doctor, an engineer, and a navigator. His job orders require him to take on three passengers, and he discovers to his dismay that they consist of a human clone and two aliens from the Zzygou Swarm; the clone is taking them on a galactic sight-seeing tour.

The trip ensues with a number of strange and unexpected obstacles, which they manage to overcome, but then one of the Zzygou is brutally murdered. Furthermore, it turns out she was the Crown Princess of the Zzygou Swarm; her death by a human is considered a cause of war. The humans are given a brief time frame to rectify the crime, and a Sherlock Holmes clone and his assistant, Dr. Watson, are sent aboard the ship to see if the guilty party can be found and justice meted out to the satisfactory of the Zzygou.

Discussion: I didn’t find much to like about this book. The prose is pedestrian at best. Alex’s musings on the nature of slavery versus free will were moderately interesting, but not very innovative or sophisticated. The criminal portion of the plot was a bit silly and hugely improbable. One whole thread of the story, about a human mind named Edgar trapped in a crystal and also aboard the ship, was mostly left dangling. And the book ended with a totally unsupported case of InstaLove. But the worst part of the story, for me, was the racism, sexism, homophobia, as well as the sexual exploitation of the 14-year-old girl - mostly by Alex, but also by anyone else who was able to do so. From the beginning of his “rescue,” Alex was putting Kim on his lap, calling her “baby” and then “agreeing” to her pleas to have sex with her. Ugh, just ugh. This was all presented in a way not to cast aspersion on Alex’s character; rather, he was supposed to be the most likable and admirable of the crew.

Evaluation: There is nothing about this book that would cause me to recommend it to anyone.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: ARC read via Netgalley.

Well, this is a strange one.

Not the book itself, but the whole package – book and response.
In short, Genome takes place in some unknown far future with aliens and humans who are either genetically manipulated to become a profession. In other words, a pilot is programmed differently (including the ejection of the ability to love) than say a prostitute. A fighter’s body has changes in it that a pilot’s wouldn’t. There are still some normals, people who haven’t been tinkered with, and there are also clones.

Oh, and apparently when your genes have been altered, you are normal until like puberty and then your mutant genetic abilities come out after a metamorphosis, which sounds rather nasty. But afterwards you are considered an adult.

Our hero is Alex, a pilot who helps a girl called Kim and this leads him to getting into an even bigger mess involving Aliens and a woman from a colony world whose specialty involves death and destruction. Her name is Janet. She’s also a doctor. Then there is a murder mystery.

It’s a rather tightly written and plotted book, though there is a slight weak, shifting point in the middle. The characters are, for the most part, well drawn and believable. The questions raised are thought provoking. It is a different dystopia than say in the Hunger Games or Atwood’s work. More insidious because you can easily argue that it isn’t one. Should your whole life be pre determined before you are even born? Is it right to remove those aspects of humanity, such as compassion and love, in order to make a better detective (and why those)?

Yet, and it’s a big yet. I found myself becoming rather queasy. It’s impossible to discuss why without using spoilers. Wave hi to them.

The first problem I had was the whole relationship between Alex and Kim. It isn’t so much the fact that Kim had a crush/interest/love for Alex more the fact that they acted on it. It’s true; the reader isn’t told how old Alex is, though he has had four children. It is also true that Kim is considered an adult because she has undergone her metamorphosis. Still, it is rather difficult to overlook the fact that Kim is 14.

Just ick! I’m sorry, but icky. I know 14 year olds have sex; I get it. I went to school with a classmate who was pregnant at 14. A relationship between a 14 year old and a mature adult man, however, is a whole other thing. It felt wrong. Its manipulation when the man has the power, as is the case here. I don’t care that Kim is no longer a virgin. I don’t care that she’s programmed for it. I don’t care that she legally consents. Maybe it’s because I read this shortly after I read Lolita. Regardless of the reason, the whole under 18 and over 20 relationships always feels like icky to me, regardless of who the participants are. (Reverse the genders of Kim and Alex and I still would have problem).

Additionally, there does seem to be a bit of wish fulfillment because Alex can have sexual with the other woman on the ship, both Kim and Janet is down with that. The whole relationship is made worse because Kim wants Alex because she has imprinted on him. It’s her genetic voodoo talking not herself. To be fair, it seems Alex is conflicted about the whole thing and does take steps to deal with the problem, but he still caves into the demands of seed without much debate.

It just feels icky.

The other problem is the implication that gayness can somehow be magically changed by a chemical. The purpose of the chemical was to replace the normal human settings, for example to give the pilot back the ability to love. Yet, when the gay member of the crew, the only normal in the book, is given the chemical, he becomes seemingly straight (admittedly, he could be bi). He is the only character to have his sexual presence changed. The others just get emotions back or back under control. Perhaps my view is influenced by the restrictions that the Russian government has placed on homosexual citizens. Regardless, I’m straight, and I even found that insulting.

It seems, however, that it could be that the plot as well as the whole gene science editing has to do with the theme of the novel. The question of humanity and what exactly makes us human. Lukyanenko is examining this in the novel, and for that, as well as for the questions about it that the reader must consider, the novel is worth reading.

[Dragana · Rating 5 out of 5]

If The Genome was not written by Sergei Lukyanenko, it would not have caught my attention. But I’ve been planning to read Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko for a long time, because it sounded like interesting urban fantasy series. The fact that Sergei Lukyanenko is from Russia only increased my curiosity.

Let’s make things clear. The Genome does not have even a tiny bit of fantasy. This book is pure science fiction. And it’s the best kind of science fiction – with believable future and technology.

The human race has long ago spread its wings and left the planet Earth. A lot of planets are colonized. Intergalactic travel is not a dream but reality. Genetic engineering is commonly used at conception by parents. Embryos are modified for specific professions by altering physic appearance and mental capabilities. This genetically altered humans are called ‘spesh‘. I wont go into details here, but there are a lot of explanations about whole process through the book.

Alex Romanov is a narrator and, we could say, the hero of The Genome. He is a spesh and a spaceship pilot, who just got out of a hospital after a fatal injury. The amount of modifications Alex had to become a master pilot is astounding.

“You’ve been modified for gravity overloads?”
“Exactly. I retain mobility at six Gs and consciousness at twelve.”
“And measure distances like a radar.”
“Both distance and velocity.”

We follow Alex as he is looking for a job, crew for his new ship and during his first flight. Since we were present during interviews I felt like I knew members of the crew. Like they are one big quirky family.

After a great start, with a lot of interesting stuff about genetic engineering and Alex getting a new job and crew, the events started to get a bit boring. My enthusiasm for a book lessened and I was afraid that it’s going to be a bore-fest until the end. But then – BOOM – a murder happens. And we get a murder mystery complete with a classic ending where all suspects are in a same room while evidence who is the villain is presented. It reminded me of Agatha Christie’s Poirot.

The only thing that I can say that really bothered me, was romance/sexual aspect of the story. Alex has sex with multiple partners (not at the same time). Sure, he was not in a relationship with any of them, but still… Maybe I would not have been troubled by this, if one of his sexual partners was not a 14 year old young girl, half his age, who hero-worshiped him.

The Genome is a great book for a book club. There is a wide range of topics that can be discussed: cloning, genetic engineering, freedom of choice, love, … Yes, even love. And this is a reason why:

“Damn it, Kim. My ability to love is removed. Artificially removed.”
Her features froze. Then came a sheepish little smile. “Alex … you’re kidding, right?”
“Nope. It’s true, baby. I’m incapable of love. Anything but that.”
“How can … love be removed?” Kim’s voice quivered. “It’s like breathing … walking … thinking … Alex! You’re pulling my leg! You’re joking, right?”
“Kim, I’m telling you the truth. It is common knowledge that pilots, detectives, and tax collectors are genetically modified to be incapable of love.”

Why love interferes with pilot’s job? Can emotions really be removed? Are beings who do not feel love still humans? Some of these questions will be answered in The Genome, the rest are up to us…

IN THE END...

The Genome has something for everyone. Genetic engineering, spaceships and intricate planets for science fiction fans. Intrigue and thrill of unknown for action fans. Classic detective investigation for mystery fans. I can honestly say that it kept all my brain cells busy. I am not disappointed with Sergei Lukyanenko‘s writing and I am looking forward to read more.

Disclaimer: I received this ebook from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. This text is also posted on my blog Bookworm Dreams in a little bit more styled edition.

[Diana Petrova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Май все по-силно започвам да харесвам Лукяненко. А все още не съм изчела всичко негово, което си е направо едно чудесно обещание за бъдещо удоволствие!
Този човек пише някак толкова уютно. И не, нямам предвид сюжетните линии, изобщо не става дума за онзи тип уютни, топли книги (които също харесвам, много ми се дочитат от време на време), Лункяненко е съвремен творец във фантастично-фентъзийните жанрове.
Става дума за самия му начин на писане, за езика (тук трябва непременно да отправя адмирации и към преводача), за удивителния начин, по който дистанцията между автор и читател е скъсена. Не мисля, че мога да анализирам как точно авторът постига това- с емпатия, с ум, с определен вид умения, с комбинация от всичко това или пък с нещо друго, но мога просто да констатирам факта, че четейки негова книга се чувствам „у дома”.
Но да споделя сега конкретно впечатленията си за романа „Геном”. Без да навлизам в никакви подробности около сюжета, ще кажа, че има космически кораби, междузвездно пътуване, различни раси, абсолютно класическо оформление на „декора”. По отношение на хората- в описания в книгата свят- те са разделени на два типа- натурали и спецове. Натуралите са обикновени хора, а спецовете имат конкретни генни модификации, преминават през метаморф��за, която касае професионалните им умения. При генната трансформация се усилват определени умения и се премахват други. Разбира се, тези промени съвсем не засягат единствено физическите качества, а също и емоциите. Около този въпрос гравитира и основната морална дилема в романа- кое е по-важно- да бъдеш перфектният пилот, навигатор, агент, лекар, воин или да можеш да си човек, да обичаш, да състрадаваш, да се гневиш. Лукянено обаче, изобщо не се опитва да натрапи „верния отговор”, а само докосва с едно съвсем меко внушение.
И все пак в жанрово-сюжетно отношение, искам да спомена за подхода на автора, който изключително ме впечатли. Никога преди не съм чела нещо подобно- до към средата на книгата романът наистина беше класически фантастичен, докато в един момент не се превърна в класически криминален. И то в духа на истинските класически традиции- убийство, ограничен кръг заподозрени, следовател, който дори носеше името Шерлок и с присътсвие на истински д-р Уотсън. Но дори и тази аналогия е направена елегантно, в контекста на „спецификациите”и няма никакъв бутафорен ефект.
Ето тази чудна амалгама от жанрове, герои и обстановка може да направи само добрият писател.
Прочитът на романа е истинска наслада и го препоръчвам на всички, които харесват фантастика, харесват крими или пък са уморени от твърде много разтърсваща драма.

[Христо Блажев · Rating 4 out of 5]

Специализирани човеци колонизират галактиката: http://knigolandia.info/book-review/g...

“Геном” всъщност е криминален роман и умерена пародия на космическа опера. Лекотата, с която пише Лукяненко, е позната на феновете, но той хич не си дава зор с развитието на сюжета – забележително е как само събирането на екипажа на кораба ПРЕДИ началото на приключението заема почти половината книга, но това не се усеща хич (точно чета предстоящата да излезе “Бъдеще” на Дмитрий Глуховски и там има забележимо тъпчене на места на сюжета, но за 650 страници няма как). За тези двеста и нещо страници научаваме доста за обществото от бъдещето – например разделението на спецове и натурални, вторите са на по-ниско обществено равнище и като цяло не се считат за равностойни.


"ИнфоДАР"​
http://knigolandia.info/book-review/g...

[Boian Alexandrov · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a space opera (very much like the Vorkosigan Saga) mixed with а thrilling crime story that happens in our Galaxy dominated (partially) by a eugenic Human Empire. The novel is easy and enthralling to read. However, this book is not the best from Lukyanenko.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This could have been a really interesting look at a future society where there are normal humans and then there "spesh" humans who have had their genome altered to make them ideally suited for certain jobs. Unfortunately, this novel from the author of the Night Watch books is marred by several issues that just jar you right out of the story. Some are strange things that just seem unlikely in the future, such as the fact that everyone in the book smokes, even onboard a spaceship. Cigarettes, pipes, and a bizarre hiring ritual involving a cigar. Maybe this makes sense if you are Russian? But the one that I can't forgive is the depiction of women in the book. First there is the character of Janet, from the planet Ebon, whose people are quarantined for their xenophobic violent tendencies. She is a spesh trained as a fighter, executioner, and doctor, but the captain usually just has her serve drinks. Plus they refer to her many times as just the "black lady". The bigger problem is Kim, a fighter/spy spesh who the hero meets at the beginning of the story as she is going through her transformation to her speciality. It is stated several times that she is not quite fourteen, and yet Lukyanenko has made her a nyphomanic sex fiend and has the hero enter into a sexual relationship with her (he marries her actually, to help her get off planet). Can I just say yuck and be done with this review. I can. Yuck.

[Chip · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a strange one. Having really enjoyed his Night Watch series, was excited to see (and read!) an English translation of a new Lukyanenko book. Unfortunately, I can't put this one at the level of the Night Watch books. First, the translation was, I think (and hope, for the author's sake) lacking in comparison, so there's that. Second, much of it was (again, I think) subtle parody of space opera sci-fi, and there's no way the author intended in seriousness to be so demeaning to the female characters. So, all that cut away from the creativeness that, as I think is typical for him, Lukyanenko showed. Frankly, if he'd just played it straight, I think this could have been a great book. Ah well. I did appreciate the shout out to Miles Vorkosigan though (Chapter 5, Miles and his cousin Ivan: "You and your shenanigans, Miles ....").

[Cass]

DNG

[Marjolein (UrlPhantomhive) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com

A few years back I heard a lot people talk about Night Watch and his other books, but I never came around to actually reading them. But when I saw this title on Netgalley, the author sounded very familiar and I really wanted to try this one.

In a world where certain capacities can be bought to be incorporated in the genome of an unborn child, master-pilot Alex Romanov is looking for a new job. Very conveniently he gets offered a very interesting deal where he can not only be the pilot, but also choose his own crew. He then decides to, on the first day of his new job, bend the rules to bring a random girl, a fighter-spec no less, on board.

I'm not sure what to think of it. At first - and still - I liked the part that's more about the genetic manipulation and the pros and cons. How bad is it that certain qualities are more expensive than others. (Why are there even model-specs?! Who would want his daughter to be a prostitute-spec?!) The struggle of a 'normal' person to do a job people are usually engineered for. There's all that.

And then there's all the drama. A lot of drama. The ships guests are more than controversial. The main character has sex with all female characters and a sex simulator in the span of 24 hours. And I'm not even starting about the gruesomely murder and the ensuing put everyone in a room together and start digesting the problem technique I've seen far too often already.

I've read this is supposed to be a parody on space opera. But I had a very hard time finding the parts that made this a parody. Had I not read this in other reviews, I would have assumed it was all meant as a serious book. Not necessarily high-standard literature, which is by no means what every book should be, but that it was meant as a space/soap opera. I don't know that much, read: nothing really, on space opera as it's not something I usually read but it doesn't sound very attractive based on The Genome.

I'm just not sure what to think of it.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

[Φλεγύας · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm about to write that I didn't enjoy a Sergei Lukyanenko book and I can't bring myself to type it. However, it seems to be true. I have to say, I'm a big fan of Sergei, I absolutely love his Night Watch mythos and book series. I'm also a big fan of the Russian school of writing, that amalgamation of story, concept and philosophy.
There is a number of reasons why the Genome did not work for me. For starters, the main reason was entirely my fault: I never quite knew what I was buying. I thought I was buying a space adventure. Then, I read that this was meant to be a space saga parody. Then, I noticed that on the back cover, it was clearly written that this was going to be a space thriller.
I did try to get into it, but, after the first 3 hundred pages that did keep my interest peaked, nothing worked. By "nothing", I mean exactly that... nothing!
I don't think I would ever feel comfortable recommending this book to someone else. It's like the first 60% of the book is building up towards something that never makes it onto the book. It could have been something entirely different, but, as it is now, I don't think it works. It didn't for me.
I'm still anxiously waiting for the last book in the Night Watch series and I'll never think less of Sergei. His urban fantasy world is amazingly thought through. It just seems that this experiment, this crime solving space mystery, was not within his power.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have never heard or read anything by this author. I just thought this book sounded good. After reading this book I do want to go back and check out Night and Day Watch. Also after reading this book I realized that I need to read more sci-fi books. I have been lucky thus far and every single one that I have picked up I have really enjoyed. I have been fascinated by science and space. I used to watch X-Files and I am a Trekkie fan. That is lingo for Star Trek for thoses who are not familiar.

Anyways back to the book. The world that the author built was cool. Although I have to say that I did grow tried quickly of everyone calling each other spesh. I got it. There are humans and there are spesh and then there are others not of this world. Yet, I did not feel like everyone needed to use spesh when addressing someone by their name. For half of the book it was talking and the mission went smoothly. In other words not a lot of action. Yet again what it lacked in action it made up for in the storytelling...world and interesting characters.

[Daniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sergei Lukyanenko’s name gained popular recognition outside of his native Russia with the translations of his fantasy/horror novels, Night Watch and Day Watch, and their equally successful film adaptations and remakes. It’s not surprising then to see reader interest in translations of his other work, including his science fiction.

However, when it comes to The Genome, diving in simply due to author recognition is not advised. This is a novel where it pays to know not just the author and plot, but also a little about its style and designs. Lukyanenko intended The Genome to be playful, encoding in the final pages a hidden message that translates as: “This novel is a parody of space opera and cyberpunk. The author values your sense of humor.”

Translation is a tricky business and the subtle nature of Lukyanenko’s parody, with only a hidden explanation of tongue-in-cheek intent, makes it easy to mistake The Genome for a straight-faced science fiction adventure in a Golden Age vein. Potentially catching a reader off guard, The Genome contains not only the excitement and charm of classic science fiction, but exaggerates the clichés and faults of (mostly) bygone years, including their misogynistic tone and other cultural insensitivities. It is easy to misread intent and where the parody begins or ends. Even if the satirical play is realized, enjoyment of the adventure and mystery of the plot may be lost to the sensitive.

The Genome begins when spaceship pilot Alex Romanov is released from a hospital with a newly regenerated body following a terrible accident during his previous job. In this future universe, much of humanity is genetically engineered to serve specific unique roles. These biologically-idealized ‘speshes’ serve their programmed role above all other concerns and have significant advantages over regular humans, but lack choice, stuck in predestined jobs with no hope of change.

As a pilot spesh searching new employment after his recovery, Alex discovers a generous job opportunity to serve as pilot/captain for a secretive mission. Alex has little choice but to accept this too-good-to-be-true offer after he uses his last remaining funds coming to the aid of a mysterious, young teenage girl named Kim O’Hara, whose genetic programming has just come into fruition, off the grid, through a traumatic and violent metamorphosis.

Alex is given the atypical freedom of assembling his own crew from the handful of people who happen to be on this galactic crossroads of a planet looking for employment. Eventually finding a spesh for each job required, Alex finally learns the details of their mission: transporting two alien representatives through a tour of human-controlled space. The problem for Alex is that the ship’s doctor belongs to a group of humans with a xenophobic hatred of aliens engineered into her being. Compounding this, each other member of the crew has some flawed trait that makes them an unpredictable, volatile risk, including newly matured Kim, who Alex discovers is on the run and in possession of an incredibly rare and valuable crystal.

When one of the two aliens the ship is assigned to transport is found brutally murdered, Alex and the detective spesh clone who arrives to investigate must rush to discover the killer before the aliens’ retribution escalates into interstellar war between species.

If given a more serious tone, a science fiction set-up like this plot could be used to explore such concepts as individuality, free-will, class relations, racism, and colonialism within the murder mystery context. In its parody (or perhaps pastiche – it is never quite clear if Lukyanenko mocks or celebrates space operas of bygone years), The Genome doesn’t put much energy into these kinds of explorations. Instead, its focus is on making the characters and their behaviors fit into science fiction (or mystery) novel stereotypes, thereby coming off a lot like a space opera mashup in the style of the 1976 film Murder By Death written by Neil Simon that did similar things with the mystery genre and its iconic characters.

In The Genome, these spesh characters are nothing more than genetically-engineered personifications of varied genre stereotypes. Alex the pilot, for instance, is the quintessential masculine protagonist, ready to save the woman in distress at great personal cost, eager to embark into liaisons of passion, but unable to actually love anything more than his ship and his job. As Murder By Death has its play on the culturally-insensitive Charlie Chan or politically incorrect Sam Spade, so too does The Genome delight in the male fantasy fulfillment seen with Alex and his relationship with the female characters or in playing with character reactions to a homosexual character.

The adventure of the plot is a fun ride, and the basic speculation behind it is intriguing. But the tongue-in-cheek approach of Lukyanenko isn’t played for laughs, or at least doesn’t translate effectively. Fans of old school science fiction who don’t mind its shortcomings at the expense of a fun plot and a bit of mystery could still find this a worthwhile read.

This review originally appeared on Skiffy & Fanty (http://skiffyandfanty.com/). I received a free electronic advanced reading copy of this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Metaphorosis · Rating 3 out of 5]

reviews.metaphorosis.com

3 stars

Starship pilot Alexander Romanov, fresh out of hospital, stands up for young Kim O'Hara, only to find she's more than capable of taking care of herself. Genetically designed for a particular function like Alex himself, Kim is about to undergo her transition to full 'spesh' status, and Alex is genetically programmed to care for those under his care. When a mysterious dream job comes his way, he takes Kim and several others onto his crew, only to find that the job is more than he bargained for.

Lukyanenko does a good job of tackling the details of his concept - that humans are divided into 'naturals' and genetically designed 'speshes' who have had some aspects of their being enhanced and others suppressed. Pilots, for example, have innate mathematical skills and a firm belief in order, but are incapable of love. Lukyanenko pursues the concept with consistent logic, if with a little fuzziness around the edges, and with a massive over-simplification at one point.

Happily, Lukyanenko sets his book in a (far future) multicultural context, not the America-centric milieu that is the default for so many stories. Unhappily, he carries in a number of stereotypes that are outdated even in Russia - particularly concerning women and gays. (e.g., "every woman's ineradicable need to look as seductive as possible") Some elements don't ring true for anyone, and especially for a Russian. The book is presented by Goodreads as a sequel of sorts to Dances on Snow, but it reads as a standalone novel.

The book is partly about the risk of hubris - the fear that humans exploiting the near-divine power of genetic pre-determination sow the seeds of their own destruction. It's also a novel about love. Alex, whose ability to love is genetically inhibited, is pushed by circumstances to explore his limitations. As one character tells him, "love is the feeling that makes us equal to God".

Some aspects of the story are imperfectly developed. Alex has a tattoo on his shoulder that shows his emotional state. The need for and purpose of the tattoo are initially unclear, and never really developed. It's a promising gimmick, but one that feels like the remnant of an early draft. There's a (non-graphic) scene of sexual violence that's completely gratuitous and non-credible, and feels inserted solely to get the plot around a corner. Kim is inconsistent in her knowledge of her self and skills. The book evolves partly into an homage to Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle, but the detective element is not the book's strong point.

On a purely conceptual level, this is a well developed and executed book. Lukyanenko sets out to consider the benefits and drawbacks of genetic manipulation, and does so logically and thoughtfully. The writing is generally good (the translation is good, but not great). Unfortunately, the presentation of concepts is substantially undercut by tired and offensive biases. Had the book been written in 1950, or even Russia in 1970, I'd have made allowances. But it wasn't; it was written in 1999, well past the time when these flaws could be overlooked. I'm (very slowly) reading Lukyanenko's Watch series in Russian, and I have to say that this has made me a fair bit less enthusiastic to press on.

If you're intrigued by the potential consequences of genetic engineering, and can stomach the unfortunate attitudes, this is an interesting book. If sexism and prejudice get in your way, I can't recommend this.

NB: Received free copy from Net Galley. 

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started off really well - a glimpse at the future where there are naturals and speshes, genetically altered in the womb to fit a certain profile for a job both physically and mentally.

The story starts with an injured pilot incapable of love (part of his spesh changes), Alex working his way back to recovery, ready to take on a new job, he stumbles across Kim - a troubled fourteen year old fighter spesh barely past her metamorphasis.

Quickly enough, Alex has a ship and a questionable crew ferrying some alien visitors to some human colonized planets for vacation. Then it all goes wrong.

The story had a great start, strong sci-fi and the whole dystopian future - I was really enjoying the story until the book changes gears, drops to a dead stop and becomes a who-dunnit murder mystery with a special guest appearance by Sherlock Holmes (or rather, a clone of some guy who is a detective spesh and fancies himself Sherlock).

The story slowed right down and became dull and utterly predictable at this point - the obvious suspects were so over the top obvious that it was clear they had nothing to do with it, leaving only 2 characters who it really could have been.

Then there are 2 glaring problems in the book for me - the first - its set way in the future, but it seems like every character has a 2-pack a day smoking habit - which strikes me as odd. And then there is the utterly creepy fact that Kim is 'Fourteen. As of one month ago'. and yet, is considered a sexual psiren who already has enough sexual experience to teach the captain some new tricks, and most of the crew can't seem to want to keep their hands off her. I kept expecting Chris Hanson to pop out and ask them all to take a seat.

That aside, I did enjoy the story for the most part - the spesh-natural split was interesting and the side effects of being a spesh (i.e. Alex is unable to love) is a thought provoking one - what would you trade for being specialized at something.

Thanks to Netgalley and Open Road Integrated Media for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review - I really am happy to have read it, and enjoyed the story with a few exceptions.

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

DISCOVER THE TRUTH – A STELLAR ADVENTURE
Alex Romanov, a Master Pilot-spesh, captains the starship ‘Mirror’ on a tourist cruise to exotic planets. Like most of his crew, in youth, he had been genetically engineered, specialized, to perform his tasks and programmed to be happiest when doing so. Speshes are incapable of violating their programming, unless of course, the spesh is not as he/she appears or something can be introduced into their genome to negate programming. Add to the mix a ‘natural’ as Navigator and Mirror’s passengers, consisting of a second copy clone tour guide, Danila C-the-Third Shustov, and a pair of non-humans from a species only tenuously coexisting with humanity. The story that unfolds will keep you turning the pages and breathlessly anticipating what comes next, even more so after the introduction of Peter C-the-Forty-Fourth Valke, a Detective-spesh otherwise known as Mr. Sherlock Holmes. There is no doubt that you will want to add Sergei Lukyanenko to your list of favorites. I have already done so.

[Jay Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book combines an amazing view of the future with an old-fashioned whodunit, and a love story. The words do a great job of describing the worlds of the future and the various inhabitants. At base, the many different organisms and altered humans have the same positives and negatives as people today. The gory parts are not too gory, and the narrative flows smoothly through the action, communicating well and not getting in the way. The first section of the book is primarily setting the stage. The next section provides the unexpected crime, and the final section could be something right out of Agatha Christie, but with new variables. The mystery quickly becomes so intense that you cannot stop reading. Whether your interest is science fiction, mystery thriller, or off-beat romance, this book should be in your library.

[GONZA · Rating 2 out of 5]

Even if I'm accustomed to the style of the author, this time my problem with the book has more to do with how he deals with some issues (maybe because Russian?) than for him writing in his usual way (dry). I do not think there will be other books and even if this will become a series, such as the Guardians for example, I will not follow it further.

Anche se sono abituata allo stille dell'autore, stavolta il mio problema con il libro ha piú a che fare con il modo di trattare alcuni argomenti (forse perché russo?) che per il suo essere cosí asciutto. Non credo ci saranno altri libri e che questa diventerá una serie, come quella dei guardiani per capirsi, ma se anche fosse non la seguiró ulteriormente.

THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND OPEN ROAD INTEGRATED MEDIA FOR THE PREVIEW!

[Renée · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was horrible. Absolutely chauvinist, sexist, racist, xenophobic and just what? I kept pushing myself to finish it even though I wasn't enjoying the utterly casual awfulness of the situation to see if it even had a point. So, I finished it, but I didn't come to like or appreciate it any more. I definitely liked it less and it got really awful in new ways at the end.

[Daryl Clarke · Rating 3 out of 5]

The future is metric. Imperial units are only used by the US. The book is too YA and too coincidental for my liking. Very cliched and I am having trouble staying interested and the main character hasn't even left the planet yet.

[Marina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 / 5. Авторът сам е казвал, че книгата му е предназначена да бъде пародия на целия жанр, и на места наистина е абсурдна. Въпреки това, някои хубави идеи се прокрадват между страниците, така че като цяло "Геном" е лека и приятна за четене.

[Emiliya Bozhilova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Откачен екипаж на космически кораб, убийство на борда с галактическо значение и щипка хумор са точно онова приключение, което сгрява феновете на космическа опера в тази книжка.

[Carly · Rating 2 out of 5]

~2.5

**Note: this review is of an uncorrected advanced reader copy. While the included quotes may not reflect the final phrasing, I believe they are characteristic of the novel as a whole.**

How much can we tinker with our talents and inclinations before we encroach upon free will? This is the question that The Genome seeks to answer. It’s a complex and fascinating problem. A pity that such a fine concept was clad in such tawdry garb.

Science fiction explores our imaginations, but it also reveals our limits. If you’ve ever read classic science fiction, then you’ve encountered this phenomenon: a centuries-future world with hovercrafts and androids, but where people still smoke and use payphones, where women still wear tight dresses and take secretarial jobs, where white upper-class Americans dominate all they see. Contemporary science fiction is surely just as myopic, but our vision is too clouded to see its limitations. Unfortunately, I think The Genome’s blindspots were a little too gratingly obvious.

The Genome takes place in a far-future world where the empire of humanity has expanded outward to new planets. Humans have encountered, warred with, and eventually constructed a tenuous peace with other alien races. The most dramatic change in humanity is the changes within. Expectant parents now have the choice to make their child into a “spesh,” a genetically-modified specialist in a particular occupation. Alex’s parents decided to make him a pilot. He is endowed with supernaturally fast reflexes, phenomenal balance, and the ability to bond with the “soul” of the ships he pilots. But while his specialty granted him tremendous skills, it also took away his ability to love, substituting an eternal passion for the stars. Alex has no sooner been released from the hospital when he runs into new trouble in the form of a young female warrior-spesh. And then there’s the suspiciously well-timed and tempting offer as ship’s captain. Alex knows his new position is too good to be true, and now he’s just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Science fiction is all about transposing our prejudices into a different space so that we can examine them from a new angle. The Genome certainly tries to do this. It introduces bigotry against clones, against aliens, against speshes, against normals. But the book is also enmeshed in casual racism, sexism, and homophobia, and none of these brands of prejudice are confronted within the novel.

As one major theme of the book is Alex’s quest for love, the rather problematic portrayal of female characters is glaringly evident. To put it frankly, this book is such a male fantasy that I felt a bit out of place. All of the human female characters express interest in the protagonist, and more than one take it a good deal further. Take Kim, the female warrior-spesh that Alex picks up in the beginning of the novel. Kim provides a perfect example of informed abilities. In the opening scene, she beats up a gang trying to rape her, just in time to fall helplessly into Alex’s arms and transform into a needy damsel-in-distress. For the rest of the novel, she is immature and kittenish, described as “highly emotional, amorous, devoted,” and varying her wide-eyed adoration of Alex with lustful attempts to seduce him. As one character puts it to Alex, she’s just a “Poor little girl, watches you with adoration, follows you around like a puppy.”

Honestly, the whole book felt to me like a continual, low-level assault on feminism. A few examples of the sorts of comments that litter the text:

“Janet was already bustling around in there. Alex happily noted her willingness to get snacks ready. Had Janet been a feminist, no one could have gotten her into a kitchen, even at gunpoint.”

“She may have had the same intentions, or perhaps she did it out of every woman’s ineradicable need to look as seductive as possible.”

[Alex’s treatment of one of his crew] “[He] slapped her on her behind so that she let out a happy little squeal.”

“‘Traditionally, female crew members do not abide by this rule [of standing] and a salute the captain’s arrival with a nod...or a charming smile.’ And she turned around, demonstrating that smile to Alex.”

“Somehow outer space always increased women’s longing for same-sex love, and Alex would have gotten jealous...had he felt more than just a friendly attraction to Kim.”

“Women shouldn’t be proud of their battle wounds. Without the tooth marks, you’d be much more attractive.”

All the incidental female characters are objectified and transformed into caricatures of their gender. Women in any vaguely nontraditional roles aren’t referred to by their jobs unless they are prefixed by “girl-”, and women tend to be referred to as “girls” rather than “women.” “Spiders”--technical accountant types-- are referred to as “she-spiders.” Kim is referred to as a “girl-fighter” rather than a “fighter.” The women run around “bursting into sobs,” having “hysterical outbursts,” and making eyes at Alex. I got the distinct impression that the far-too-frequent sex scenes, including some VR scenes, were making the author salivate.

To be clear, I don’t think that building a sexist world is a problem, especially if the author goes on to construct interesting, dynamic female characters within the constraints of the world. But in this case, we are told that equality was won, yet the characters contradict it with every word and action. The book doesn’t just fail the Bechdel test; it does so epically. Take one of those girls-only moments:

“We were … we were gossipping, you know. Girl to girl!” She looked at Alex again. He nodded, catching on. No, it wasn’t sex, after all. If there was anything erotic about it, it was in some minimal, trivial form--crying on each other’s shoulder, patting each other, maybe a little kissing.
They had been discussing him!”

Because that’s what women do when the men aren’t around, obviously.
To put it frankly, this book's portrayal of women left me, as a female reader, feeling rather out of place.

And as for the sexuality bias? Well, apart from the "women-in-space-go-lesbian" quote from above, here's another example:

“Captain, no one treats women more tenderly and gently than we gays!”

The single token black character, Janet, comes from a warlike planet called Eben (yep, as in “ebony.”) We are reminded repeatedly of her countrymen’s primitive savagery, often paired with references to Janet’s race. A few statistics: by my count, there were 20 mentions of her skin color, 10 references to her as “the black woman,” and 5 as “the black lady.” For comparative purposes, I noticed zero references to any of the other characters by race. How could a future broadened by new worlds and new species be so fettered by the racism of our past?

The core idea of the book--an exploration as to how our social origins affect our agency, is fascinating. I loved the tensions between the speshes and the normals. But honestly? I think Myke Cole does a better job with the latter, and the book is too beset by its own unacknowledged prejudices to effectively tackle the former. If you’re not going to be thrown by the types of issues I mentioned, then sure, maybe this book will be fun. But as for me, I want my scifi to stretch my thinking, not assault me with bigotry. I want to look forward, not back.

~~I received this ebook from the publisher, Open Road Integrated Media, in exchange for my honest review.~~

Excerpted from my review on BookLikes, which contains additional quotes, comments, and spoilers that I was too lazy to copy over.

[Vitek Novy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Děj se odehrává nějakých sto let po Tancích ve sněhu (a navazuje to opravdu jen velmi mírně), genetické modifikace se již staly běžnými a fungují pro mnoho oborů. Stát se speciálem, to si člověk sám nevybere, pro své ještě nenarozené dítě si to vyberou a zaplatí jeho rodiče. Dočkáme se samozřejmě mnohého filozofování na téma svobodné volby, právě pokud jde o speciály.
Je tu v podstatě všechno - cestování vesmírnou lodí, mimozemšťané, spiknutí a ohrožení celé říše, vědomí známého vědce přežívající ve virtuální realitě uvnitř gelového krystalu... Dojde i vyšetřování vraždy, kterého se ujme samotný Sherlock Holmes! Tedy je to klon, vyšetřovatel speciál který se do této role stylizoval.
Lepší než jsem čekal, bavilo mě to.

[Jessica Strider · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pros: interesting & diverse characters, solid world-building, some thought provoking philosophy

Cons: several highly disturbing (though not graphic) scenes, Lolita style relationship

Five months after a devastating accident that physically cut him in half, Alexander Romanov is released from the hospital. With little money and no plans, he encounters a young girl nearing her spesh metamorphosis and - due to the programming inherent in his pilot spesh - has to help her out. He takes a job as a ship captain to help pay for the treatment she needs and, once she’s done her metamorphosis, assembles a crew for an unknown mission.

The book is split into three sections. The first section introduces the characters, the second deals with the fallout of discovering their mission, and the third revolves around a mystery. While I really enjoyed the first two parts, the third got irritating as two of the characters claim to have solved the mystery but refuse to explain what happened, presumably so the reader has time to put the clues together. It felt artificial, though there is a reason given for their delay in the text. The resolution was interesting as it referred back to several of the philosophical questions the book as a whole posed.

The world-building in this book is solid. There are four groups at play: 1. Natural, unmodified humans 2. Speshs, people whose parents decide before birth what specialized job their child should have, and are then genetically modified physically and psychologically to do the work and enjoy it. 3. Clones. And 4. the Others, several alien races that have interactions with humans. You’ll also encounter human politics, with a child Emperor, various religions (and religious extremism), numerous branches of racism, etc. Different planets have different specialties, atmospheres, and customs, while travel between planets is done using hyper-tunnels and takes a surprisingly short amount of time.

For the most part I liked all the characters, at the beginning at least. The captain’s a great POV character. I love his demon tattoo (and what it does for him), and the way he analyses his world, questioning the way things are, even when he’s ok with the way things are. Kim’s a great character, though I did have issues with her… relationship with the captain (and others, as her being 14 and having sex with people significantly older wasn’t something I’m comfortable with, even if the characters - for the most part - considered it normal, or at least, not unusual). Her specializations made her self-assured, despite her lack of experience. Janet was my favourite character until the half-way point when her upbringing came to the fore. I liked that she’d taken charge of her life, getting several specializations and was willing to be a mentor for Kim.

The one character I didn’t much like was Puck. His antagonistic attitude and desire to prove that a natural human could be just as good as a spesh made him kind of irritating. I did, however, appreciate that he was gay and that his being natural showed off the prejudices of his crewmates.

This is a book that makes you think, though some of the scenes that open the way to philosophical discussion are disturbing to say the least. While nothing’s particularly graphic there are mentions of rape, slavery, and war. I could easily see this being put on university reading lists and/or used for book clubs, as there are some very interesting essay and discussion topics brought up, particularly around genetic modifications and freedom. So, for example, as disturbing as I found the hunting scene, I did appreciate the questions about class, ethics and humanity that the captain ruminated on that arose from it.

In addition to her relationships, I had a few issues with what happened to Kim at the end of the book.

I’m not sure I would want to read it again, but it was an interesting, if somewhat uncomfortable, book to read.

[Maria Beltrami · Rating 3 out of 5]

The novel starts very well: the genetically modified space pilot who leaves the hospital after having barely survived a terrible accident meets the classic girl ran away from home, of course, in turn, genetically modified, and in great anguish because next to the process of metamorphosis intended to lead to hers full capacity. And until here one thinks you are reading a good classic science fiction novel. Then there is the mysterious ship, the intricate recruitment of a crew with its unusual GM features, for all except for one who is not only a natural but it is also gay, and the strange alien passengers. Ok, deep space sci-fi. And then... in short, the novel is not able to settle on a well-defined genre, and at some point, after that the inevitable nasty business happened on which a detective must investigate, it explores for a while also farce and the traditional Russian literature. In order not to miss anything, there's even a happy ending with its love story.
As you read easily, the novel is all in all a bit 'wavering, with too many irons in the fire, and, to some extent, immature compared to the works of Lukyanenko that I already knew.
I thank Open Road Integrated Media and Netgalley for giving me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Il romanzo parte benissimo: il pilota spaziale geneticamente modificato che esce dall'ospedale dopo essere sopravvissuto a stento a un tremendo incidente incontra la classica ragazzina scappata di casa, ovviamente a sua volta geneticamente modificata, e in grandi ambasce perché prossima al processo di metamorfosi che la porterà ad assumente le sue piene capacità. E fino a qui uno pensa di stare leggendo un ottimo romanzo di fantascienza classica. Poi c'è la nave misteriosa, l'intricato reclutamento dell'equipaggio con le sue insolite caratteristiche geneticamente modificate, per tutti tranne che per uno che non solo è un naturale ma è pure gay, e gli stranissimi passeggeri alieni. Ok, fantascienza dello spazio profondo. E poi... insomma che il romanzo non riesce ad assestarsi su un genere ben preciso, e a un certo punto, dopo che è successo l'inevitabile fattaccio sul quale un detective deve indagare, si esplorano per un po' di pagine anche la farsa e la letteratura russa tradizionale. Per non farsi mancare nulla, c'è anche l'happy end con relativa storia d'amore.
Per quanto si legga bene, un romanzo tutto sommato un po' ondivago, con troppa carne al fuoco, e, per certi versi, immaturo rispetto alle opere di Lukyanenko che già conoscevo.
Ringrazio Open Road Integrated Media e Netgalley per avermi offerto una copia gratuita in cambio di una recensione onesta.