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BioPunk: Stories from the Far Side of Research
Programmable memories, fatherless reproduction, nano-tech implants, amphibian-powered scar treatment, full body modification, brain-scanning lie-detectors, inter-species reproduction, self-determining synthetic ‘green goo’…
Which of these would you wager is pure science fiction, and which currently being developed in the lab? Such is the speed and excitement of today’s bio-medical research – sprinting from the starting gun that was the Human Genome Project – it’s sometimes hard to tell. In a unique collaboration, fourteen short story writers have been invited to explore the increasingly grey area between the fantastical and that which is already within our reach. Closely collaborating with scientists and ethicists working at the forefronts of their respective fields, each writer has been tasked with predicting some of the potential ‘ethical side-effects’ of this groundbreaking work. Not all progress, after all, is progressive. And dark forces are afoot that threaten to hi-jack what many declared would be ‘the century of biology’.
Which of these would you wager is pure science fiction, and which currently being developed in the lab? Such is the speed and excitement of today’s bio-medical research – sprinting from the starting gun that was the Human Genome Project – it’s sometimes hard to tell. In a unique collaboration, fourteen short story writers have been invited to explore the increasingly grey area between the fantastical and that which is already within our reach. Closely collaborating with scientists and ethicists working at the forefronts of their respective fields, each writer has been tasked with predicting some of the potential ‘ethical side-effects’ of this groundbreaking work. Not all progress, after all, is progressive. And dark forces are afoot that threaten to hi-jack what many declared would be ‘the century of biology’.
207 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 24, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 8, 2012
(Written for Guru Magazine)
One of the reasons I enjoy reading Science Fiction is the pleasure I get by asking myself, “Could this actually be possible?” The best Sci-Fi often walks that fine line of purely imaginary and very possible. But how much of the stuff in Sci-Fi is true? Is it all fiction as the genre suggests?
In the newly published collection Bio-Punk, readers don’t have to speculate. Following each of the thirteen fictional short stories, there is a short response by a leading scientific or legal voice in that particular field.
For example, Jane Feaver’s story “The Challenge” explores the ethical complications of human participation in drug trials. Throughout “The Challenge,” the main character, Maureen, agrees to undergo a drug trial for a malaria vaccine, thus agreeing to be available for regular check-backs to ensure she is not reacting negatively to the trial. Readers learn that Maureen’s son was killed in military action, her husband has long left her, and she is now alone.
After being bitten by malaria-carrying mosquitos, Maureen travels to a favorite family holiday spot to hide out from the drug testers and ride out the effects of the malaria. Rather than following protocol and returning for regular check-ups, we learn that Maureen’s involvement in the drug trial is a form of suicide. She allows the malaria to take control, and we are left assuming that she eventually dies from the disease.
Responding to the story is Professor Sarah Gilbert, of The Jenner Institute out of University of Oxford. Professor Gilbert offers some interesting insight to the ethical components of human drug trials. She verifies the malaria testing process, stating that participants must agree to the follow-up meetings due to the high risk of a fatal infection.
She asks (and answers) some of the big questions – “Is human drug testing safe? Is it ethical to infect someone with a disease that could kill them?” – with well-informed answers, making the story preceding the response more believable.
As a lover of all things that combine the arts and science, I found the stories and responses in this collection brilliant. Another of my favorites was Annie Kirby’s “Xenopus Rose-Tinted,” which included such beautifully crafted lines as “…and so they stumbled on us instead, the Xenopus Rose-Tinted, with our red eyes, jazz-infused nocturne of DNA and the ability to dream one another’s dreams.” (Doesn’t that ‘roll trippingly off the tongue’!?)
If there’s any drawback (and I’m hard pressed to find one here), it might be that the responses interfere with a reader’s ability to live in the fantasy that Sci-Fi provides. However, I didn’t find myself wishing these responses away. In fact, by the time I was a few stories in, I couldn’t wait to read the explanations that followed! It had the same feeling of watching a complicated film and then listening to the director’s commentary afterward. By coupling the fictional with the factual, this collection stands out as one of my new favorite art and science combos! Read it!
One of the reasons I enjoy reading Science Fiction is the pleasure I get by asking myself, “Could this actually be possible?” The best Sci-Fi often walks that fine line of purely imaginary and very possible. But how much of the stuff in Sci-Fi is true? Is it all fiction as the genre suggests?
In the newly published collection Bio-Punk, readers don’t have to speculate. Following each of the thirteen fictional short stories, there is a short response by a leading scientific or legal voice in that particular field.
For example, Jane Feaver’s story “The Challenge” explores the ethical complications of human participation in drug trials. Throughout “The Challenge,” the main character, Maureen, agrees to undergo a drug trial for a malaria vaccine, thus agreeing to be available for regular check-backs to ensure she is not reacting negatively to the trial. Readers learn that Maureen’s son was killed in military action, her husband has long left her, and she is now alone.
After being bitten by malaria-carrying mosquitos, Maureen travels to a favorite family holiday spot to hide out from the drug testers and ride out the effects of the malaria. Rather than following protocol and returning for regular check-ups, we learn that Maureen’s involvement in the drug trial is a form of suicide. She allows the malaria to take control, and we are left assuming that she eventually dies from the disease.
Responding to the story is Professor Sarah Gilbert, of The Jenner Institute out of University of Oxford. Professor Gilbert offers some interesting insight to the ethical components of human drug trials. She verifies the malaria testing process, stating that participants must agree to the follow-up meetings due to the high risk of a fatal infection.
She asks (and answers) some of the big questions – “Is human drug testing safe? Is it ethical to infect someone with a disease that could kill them?” – with well-informed answers, making the story preceding the response more believable.
As a lover of all things that combine the arts and science, I found the stories and responses in this collection brilliant. Another of my favorites was Annie Kirby’s “Xenopus Rose-Tinted,” which included such beautifully crafted lines as “…and so they stumbled on us instead, the Xenopus Rose-Tinted, with our red eyes, jazz-infused nocturne of DNA and the ability to dream one another’s dreams.” (Doesn’t that ‘roll trippingly off the tongue’!?)
If there’s any drawback (and I’m hard pressed to find one here), it might be that the responses interfere with a reader’s ability to live in the fantasy that Sci-Fi provides. However, I didn’t find myself wishing these responses away. In fact, by the time I was a few stories in, I couldn’t wait to read the explanations that followed! It had the same feeling of watching a complicated film and then listening to the director’s commentary afterward. By coupling the fictional with the factual, this collection stands out as one of my new favorite art and science combos! Read it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 31, 2018
A fascinating collection of stories - each exploring an area of current biotech research. What makes this particularly interesting is that following each story is a short piece by a scientist in that field explaining the possibilities that this opens up - and the ethical implications. These companion pieces put the fiction in context and make it a collection with a difference. The most affecting piece is the final one by Toby Litt where he sketches out the story he would have written were his mother not dying.
September 8, 2025
Kitap gizli bir hazine. İlk kez böyle bir bilimkurgu kitabı okudum.
İçinde insan biyolojisi ile ilgili çeşitli öyküler var. öykülerin devamında ise o öyküde geçen konuyla ilgili bir bilim insanın yorumları yer alıyor.
Hem hayal gücünü hemde bilgi açlığını gideren gerçek bir bilimkurgu kitabı.
İçinde insan biyolojisi ile ilgili çeşitli öyküler var. öykülerin devamında ise o öyküde geçen konuyla ilgili bir bilim insanın yorumları yer alıyor.
Hem hayal gücünü hemde bilgi açlığını gideren gerçek bir bilimkurgu kitabı.
May 29, 2019
Whilst the concept of science conjoined to the fiction is a great tool (reminded me of the old 'science of discworld' titles with it), the quality of stories were quite variable...but have learnt new things on a wide range of bio-medical themes!
November 14, 2024
Not too bad, some very thought provoking ideas
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews