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Channeling Cleopatra
One of the most beautiful and powerful women in history. Cleopatra had it all. And now anyone can, too. For a price. Her secrets...her wiles... her way with men-all transplanted from her DNA.
The only problem is no one has found it yet.
The chase is on-and forensic anthropologist Leda Hubbard is leading the pack.
The only problem is no one has found it yet.
The chase is on-and forensic anthropologist Leda Hubbard is leading the pack.
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
4 people are currently reading
153 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Ann Scarborough
125 books210 followersElizabeth Ann Scarborough was born March 23, 1947, and lives in the Puget Sound area of Washington. Elizabeth won a Nebula Award in 1989 for her novel The Healer's War, and has written more than a dozen other novels. She has collaborated with Anne McCaffrey, best-known for creating the Dragonriders of Pern, to produce the Petaybee Series and the Acorna Series.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
June 25, 2012
This book was really boring. It took me 12 days to force myself to read it. And it should have been really interesting. It's a sci-fi book where they have developed the technology to blend your DNA with the DNA of famous people from the past. So you could have their memories and personality traits. I wouldn't recommend this one.
June 26, 2009
I picked this book up for two reasons. I like Scarborough's writing; she has a good sense of humor. I also like Cleopatra, so it seemed like a good mix.
In some ways the book was a little disappointing. The actual blending that is engaging is that of Duke and Gretchen, not Leda and Cleopatra. In fact, considering, Leda's character and her dislike of the process, she seems to rush into it without any real sense of urgency. But Duke blended with Gretchen was a hoot.
There is also something unsettling about the reacion of Paul to Leda/Cleopatra. He is more attracted to Cleopatra than Leda, and yet Leda seems too okay with it.
In some ways the book was a little disappointing. The actual blending that is engaging is that of Duke and Gretchen, not Leda and Cleopatra. In fact, considering, Leda's character and her dislike of the process, she seems to rush into it without any real sense of urgency. But Duke blended with Gretchen was a hoot.
There is also something unsettling about the reacion of Paul to Leda/Cleopatra. He is more attracted to Cleopatra than Leda, and yet Leda seems too okay with it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 9, 2019
The book had Ann intriguing concept. I had wished Cleopatra came in a little sooner but it was still a satisfying read.
October 3, 2023
3.5 stars from me. A decent plot, but far too obvious what was going to happen.
September 26, 2012
Leda Hubbard is an ex-Navy forensic anthropologist and amateur Egyptologist in the near future. When she catches up with friends from her university days, she finds herself caught up in a clandestine search for the remains of Cleopatra VII. Chime and Tsering are now "blended", their consciousnesses joined inside Tsering's body since Chime's death. Together, they are now Chimera, and want Leda to be their sponsor, Nucore's agent at a dig in Alexandria in the hope DNA from Cleopatra might be found. The Nucore CEO's wife, Gretchen, wants to be blended with the ancient queen to save her failing marriage.
Knowing she'll be essentially on her own in what is a fundamentalist Muslim country, Leda enlists her ex-cop father's help for security and sents off with a heavy collection of state-of-the-art equipment. She soon makes good friends with Dr Gabriella Faruk, who knows about the secret of blending and lives locally in Alexandria. It is once Leda discovers one of Cleopatra's canopic jars that things begin to go awry. And more and more awry.
I was hoping to find time to reread this with the Beyond Reality group and once I read the first comments there - essentially that the book was implausible - I was determined to do so and see what I thought on a second reading. I have to agree. The basic idea is hugely implausible. In the first chapter the reader is asked to swallow first the idea that memory is stored at a cellular level and blending two people together is possible. From there, that it is supposed to be perfectly reasonable to go to a foreign country and recover DNA from one of its most famous (and very, very dead) citizens for this blending process. All this behind the back of the sponsoring company's CEO (who is also a personal friend) to let his wife blend with Cleopatra, not for any historical or altruistic motive, but to find out how to seduce her own husband. All in the first chapter.
But, if you get past that and just accept it as the backstory for the book, this is an entertaining tale. There are places where the language felt a bit clunky but once Cleopatra has been found, the plot really gets going and smooths itself out. Leda is actually a little bland, although I still liked her. Her father, Duke, on the other hand, is a delight from the first moment we meet him. A man with a passion for motorcycles and wives (he's up to number five), he livens up each page he appears on. His interactions with Gretchen, later in the book are wonderful fun. Gabriella is under-explored I feel, especially given her importance to the story. We only meet Cleopatra herself briefly, and I look forward to seeing more of her in the sequel (now in hardcover).
If one is to think seriously about a number of the ethical issues raised in this novel (something speculative fiction is supposed to do), there are some disturbing ideas raised. From the ethics of essentially raising someone from the dead (millenia dead even) to that of helping ones self to DNA from another country's historical figures or letting blending be for the very rich, it's all shaky ground. These issues are not really considered (except perhaps by Chimera); this is a light-hearted adventure tale with futuristic trappings rather than the reverse. As such, it works very well. Swallow the implausibilities, lean back and enjoy the adventure.
[Copied across from Library Thing; 26 September 2012]
Knowing she'll be essentially on her own in what is a fundamentalist Muslim country, Leda enlists her ex-cop father's help for security and sents off with a heavy collection of state-of-the-art equipment. She soon makes good friends with Dr Gabriella Faruk, who knows about the secret of blending and lives locally in Alexandria. It is once Leda discovers one of Cleopatra's canopic jars that things begin to go awry. And more and more awry.
I was hoping to find time to reread this with the Beyond Reality group and once I read the first comments there - essentially that the book was implausible - I was determined to do so and see what I thought on a second reading. I have to agree. The basic idea is hugely implausible. In the first chapter the reader is asked to swallow first the idea that memory is stored at a cellular level and blending two people together is possible. From there, that it is supposed to be perfectly reasonable to go to a foreign country and recover DNA from one of its most famous (and very, very dead) citizens for this blending process. All this behind the back of the sponsoring company's CEO (who is also a personal friend) to let his wife blend with Cleopatra, not for any historical or altruistic motive, but to find out how to seduce her own husband. All in the first chapter.
But, if you get past that and just accept it as the backstory for the book, this is an entertaining tale. There are places where the language felt a bit clunky but once Cleopatra has been found, the plot really gets going and smooths itself out. Leda is actually a little bland, although I still liked her. Her father, Duke, on the other hand, is a delight from the first moment we meet him. A man with a passion for motorcycles and wives (he's up to number five), he livens up each page he appears on. His interactions with Gretchen, later in the book are wonderful fun. Gabriella is under-explored I feel, especially given her importance to the story. We only meet Cleopatra herself briefly, and I look forward to seeing more of her in the sequel (now in hardcover).
If one is to think seriously about a number of the ethical issues raised in this novel (something speculative fiction is supposed to do), there are some disturbing ideas raised. From the ethics of essentially raising someone from the dead (millenia dead even) to that of helping ones self to DNA from another country's historical figures or letting blending be for the very rich, it's all shaky ground. These issues are not really considered (except perhaps by Chimera); this is a light-hearted adventure tale with futuristic trappings rather than the reverse. As such, it works very well. Swallow the implausibilities, lean back and enjoy the adventure.
[Copied across from Library Thing; 26 September 2012]
September 13, 2008
It has been discovered that within the human DNA strands of every person is a mechanism that is constantly re-encoding. At the moment of death, a person’s character, personality and memories are recorded in a helix. It is little more than an interesting scientific discovery until a method is developed to download those recordings into human hosts. Suddenly grave robbery is a major growth industry.
Leda Hubbard is happy in the dull world of forensic anthropology. One day, Gabriella, her old college roommate, recruits her to search for the remains of Cleopatra, on behalf of a corporation called Nucore. A rich client named Gretchen Wolfe fears that her husband, Wilhelm, is developing an eye for other women. Who better than Cleopatra to keep him interested?
Leda brings along Duke, her father and an ex-cop, along to Alexandria, Egypt, as head of security on the dig, and to watch her back. It turns out that other people are looking for Cleopatra, including Gabriella, but with more sinister intentions. Meantime, a powerful, amoral industrialist named Rasmussen isn’t looking to “receive” anyone; he wants to put himself into several of his subordinates as his own brand of immortality.
Leda finds the remains of Cleopatra. Gretchen downloads what she thinks is Cleopatra, but is actually Duke, Leda’s father. He is later found dead. After some initial difficulties, the two get along with each other. To Duke, Gretchen doesn’t need Cleopatra to keep her husband interested as much as she needs some well-fitting leather clothing.
This one is a gem. The initial premise is excellent, the story is interesting, well done and a good piece of writing from start to finish.
Leda Hubbard is happy in the dull world of forensic anthropology. One day, Gabriella, her old college roommate, recruits her to search for the remains of Cleopatra, on behalf of a corporation called Nucore. A rich client named Gretchen Wolfe fears that her husband, Wilhelm, is developing an eye for other women. Who better than Cleopatra to keep him interested?
Leda brings along Duke, her father and an ex-cop, along to Alexandria, Egypt, as head of security on the dig, and to watch her back. It turns out that other people are looking for Cleopatra, including Gabriella, but with more sinister intentions. Meantime, a powerful, amoral industrialist named Rasmussen isn’t looking to “receive” anyone; he wants to put himself into several of his subordinates as his own brand of immortality.
Leda finds the remains of Cleopatra. Gretchen downloads what she thinks is Cleopatra, but is actually Duke, Leda’s father. He is later found dead. After some initial difficulties, the two get along with each other. To Duke, Gretchen doesn’t need Cleopatra to keep her husband interested as much as she needs some well-fitting leather clothing.
This one is a gem. The initial premise is excellent, the story is interesting, well done and a good piece of writing from start to finish.
June 19, 2011
What if you could pick any person from history and, through the computerized infusion of their DNA, receive their personality - their soul, for a better word - to share your body? When a young scientist named Tsering's wife - Chime - died, he developed techology that transferred her DNA (which, as it turns out contains not only the genetic structure of a person, but their personality as well) into a computer program that implanted onto his retina, created the first "blended" person. They call themselves Chimera. Thus began the company Nucore. They enlist the aid of their friend Leda Hubbard to find Cleopatra's tomb for their friend Gretchen, who hopes to use Cleopatra's legendary charm to save her marriage. However, it seems unscrupulous forces may be at work - maybe even within Nucore itself . . .
While the technology itself, being utilized pretty much during the present day, requires a pretty hefty suspension of disbelief, the story unfolds at a rapid-fire pace, covering not only the ethics of the procedure itself, but also touching on the topics of female genital mutilation, the general treatment of women by fundamentalist Islamics, unscrupulous medical procedures and so forth. It is continued in the book Cleopatra 7.2, which I am reading right now and cannot wait to see how it concludes.
While the technology itself, being utilized pretty much during the present day, requires a pretty hefty suspension of disbelief, the story unfolds at a rapid-fire pace, covering not only the ethics of the procedure itself, but also touching on the topics of female genital mutilation, the general treatment of women by fundamentalist Islamics, unscrupulous medical procedures and so forth. It is continued in the book Cleopatra 7.2, which I am reading right now and cannot wait to see how it concludes.
September 24, 2013
First: I love the concept of this book, and I think it has a great story.
I find the writing a little problematic in places. Some sentences were phrased very awkwardly, to the point that I had to reread them several times to understand them. The dialogue said in English by German speakers is often grammatically incorrect for German sentence structure, which defeats the whole purpose of altering the syntax. It's distracting and irritating, as well.
The characters seem a little flat and inconsistent.
Great concept; not written as well as it could have been.
I find the writing a little problematic in places. Some sentences were phrased very awkwardly, to the point that I had to reread them several times to understand them. The dialogue said in English by German speakers is often grammatically incorrect for German sentence structure, which defeats the whole purpose of altering the syntax. It's distracting and irritating, as well.
The characters seem a little flat and inconsistent.
Great concept; not written as well as it could have been.
October 29, 2015
It felt like the author had an idea of what they wanted but was rushed to make this. It was a nice read though, and I definitely don't regret reading it because the blending is a cool concept. However, I had a hard time getting attach to the characters, and had a few moments while reading that I didn't feel as much emotion as I thought I would for the scene. The action and history in it is pretty cool and that's what honestly hooked me into the book.
July 27, 2011
its hard to read this after reading the sequel you keep wondering how things ended up to make Cleopatra 7.2 happen, but a good dynamic story, with a lot of imagination the idea that ones memories are imprinted in the dna of all cells of the body is an interesting concept. The dynamics of the characters does show better in the sequel... read this series in order would be my advice.
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November 15, 2012This genetic engineering adventure is a science fiction novel featuring one of your favorite elements: Egypt. The characters race to resurrect the essence of Cleopatra, with all of the ethical questions and danger that entails.
February 16, 2008
Lite and fluffy, and a little wacky. Quick read.
March 1, 2015
This book was awesome... the thought of sharing your body, voluntatily or not, with an actual historical character, especially one as noteworthy as Cleopatra! Wow
April 14, 2009
interesting idea, average characters and plotting
October 8, 2009
it was an okay book
October 2, 2014
I have...many feels.
July 4, 2016
A Good Science Fiction Store about implanting DNA to acquire personalities of deceased historical people.
January 4, 2017
I read this originally as a 14 year old. It holds up well, and even if the science isn't accurate, it's funny and well-written, and it's got a very upbeat feeling to it that I like.
April 17, 2008
An amusing story with a little everything. A sci-fi mystery a la Elizabeth Peters!
December 5, 2011
Fascinating premise that fizzled toward the end
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April 21, 2017What if you could pick any person from history and, through the computerized infusion of their DNA, (along with some special sauce)receive their consciousness and memories - their soul, for a better word - to share your body? When a young scientist named Tsering's wife - Chime - died, he developed technology that transferred her DNA (which, as it turns out contains not only the genetic structure of a person, but their consciousness and memories as well) into a computer program that implanted onto his retina, created the first "blended" person. Tsering and Chime - blended - call themselves Chimera. Thus began the company Nucore. They enlist the aid of their friend Leda Hubbard to find Cleopatra's tomb for their friend Gretchen, who hopes to use Cleopatra's legendary charm to save her marriage. However, it seems unscrupulous forces may be at work - maybe even within Nucore itself . . .Someone wants to implant themselves into a new, younger, healthier body. You just know the greedy 1% elite would have to spoil things
Anyway I started thinking who would I want from the past to blend with me .....?
Anyway I started thinking who would I want from the past to blend with me .....?
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews