What do you think?
Rate this book
The ICE Sequence #2
The God Gene
Rick Hayden and Laura Fanning of Panacea return in this next thriller by F. Paul Wilson and come across another impossible medical scenario--the gene that makes us human. Or does it?
Rick's brother, Keith, a prominent zoologist at NYU, suddenly liquidates his assets and walks out of his job never to be seen again.
The only clues they have are his brother's book which mentions "the God Gene"--a gene found only in primates that spontaneously appears in the evolutionary record and controls brain development--and the mysterious death of odd, blue-eyed primate brought back from East Africa.
Rick and Laura's search takes them to an uncharted island off the coast of Mozambique and the edge of evolutionary science.
The ICE Sequence Series
1. Panacea
2. The God Gene
Rick's brother, Keith, a prominent zoologist at NYU, suddenly liquidates his assets and walks out of his job never to be seen again.
The only clues they have are his brother's book which mentions "the God Gene"--a gene found only in primates that spontaneously appears in the evolutionary record and controls brain development--and the mysterious death of odd, blue-eyed primate brought back from East Africa.
Rick and Laura's search takes them to an uncharted island off the coast of Mozambique and the edge of evolutionary science.
The ICE Sequence Series
1. Panacea
2. The God Gene
368 pages, Hardcover
First published January 2, 2018
167 people are currently reading
427 people want to read
About the author
F. Paul Wilson
424 books1,998 followersFrancis Paul Wilson is an author, born in Jersey City, New Jersey. He writes novels and short stories primarily in the science fiction and horror genres. His debut novel was Healer (1976). Wilson is also a part-time practicing family physician. He made his first sales in 1970 to Analog and continued to write science fiction throughout the seventies. In 1981 he ventured into the horror genre with the international bestseller, The Keep, and helped define the field throughout the rest of the decade. In the 1990s he became a true genre hopper, moving from science fiction to horror to medical thrillers and branching into interactive scripting for Disney Interactive and other multimedia companies. He, along with Matthew J. Costello, created and scripted FTL Newsfeed which ran daily on the Sci-Fi Channel from 1992-1996.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/fpaulw...
http://us.macmillan.com/author/fpaulw...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
October 23, 2019
Book #2 in the ICE Sequence. Medical examiner Laura Fanning and ex-mercenary Rick Hayden are together again when Rick discovers his scholarly brother is missing. Even though there were both adopted, Rick decides he needs to find Keith, who has liquidated all of his assets and disappeared, after his adorable blue-eyed primate dies and is cremated. Laura joins him as emotional support, and they head to Africa after tracing his funds. Meanwhile, a rare animal smuggler and a mysterious South African are making plans to capture and sell the blue-eyed primates called "dapis" and study them, respectively. The dapis are the highlight of the book, but too much is unexplained: how they've gone undiscovered for so long? How they developed on a unique evolutionary path? why they are dangerous when they appear so harmless? At least we get answers to this last question.
April 28, 2021
3.5 Stars. While this trilogy in no way takes the place of Repairman Jack, (there is an overall secret tie to Jack's world...maybe.) this ICE trilogy, so far it hasn't been that bad. I am irritated at Laura and how the 2nd book ended. Come on girl you knew he weren't perfect or a choirboy when you climbed in bed with him. Now you want to clutch your pearls in horror at what he done did??? Especially after he opened up to you and exposed his soft underbelly. We will see if she can redeem herself in the 3rd and final book. :-)
April 10, 2019
I should probably start off with a brief explanation of my review of PANACEA. I had mentioned that it was good to have Wilson writing more suspense novels. I wasn't trying to imply that he stopped. It was more a factor of Repairman Jack was finished (excluding the young Jack stories) and, at least to me, it was unclear what Wilson would be writing next. Done-in-Ones that were outside of everything else he's written? More Repairman Jack stories post almost the end of the world? So I was happy to see another novel that was in the vein of Repairman Jack but at the same time different. I am happy being a voyeur into the worlds and imagination of F. Paul Wilson. Anyway, on to THE GOD GENE. In this, the second of the ICE Sequence books, Wilson does another excellent job of weaving a fantastic tale full of mystery and suspense. The mystery this time isn't as immediately impressive as the all-powerful ichor from PANACEA but it is actually more impactful. But I get ahead of myself.
First, the story. Rick and Laura end up on another chase but this time it is for Rick's missing brother instead. Rick's brother has liquidated his funds and transferred them to an offshore account and then disappeared. When informed of this by his mother, Rick commits to finding his brother. Laura insists on being his rational angle to Rick's not necessarily logical approach. The two of them follow the money and the uncovered clues to an amazing discovery.
I didn't have as much of a problem with the follow-the-clues approach as I did with PANACEA; it was possibly because the search was more direct with less country hopping. Or maybe it just made more sense to me. I will admit that I was a little underwhelmed by the response to their genetic discovery. In my mind, it was huge. And while the characters addressed and discussed it, they also didn't do much about it. To be honest though, I'm not sure what else they could have done; they had evidence of ICE but in the big picture, it wasn't anything they could do something with. It was a good way to end an enjoyable book and leave the readers wondering what mystery was next. Oh, I will admit that I geeked out when the town of Monroe was mentioned. A solid entry into the world of Repairman Jack, but without Jack.
First, the story. Rick and Laura end up on another chase but this time it is for Rick's missing brother instead. Rick's brother has liquidated his funds and transferred them to an offshore account and then disappeared. When informed of this by his mother, Rick commits to finding his brother. Laura insists on being his rational angle to Rick's not necessarily logical approach. The two of them follow the money and the uncovered clues to an amazing discovery.
I didn't have as much of a problem with the follow-the-clues approach as I did with PANACEA; it was possibly because the search was more direct with less country hopping. Or maybe it just made more sense to me. I will admit that I was a little underwhelmed by the response to their genetic discovery. In my mind, it was huge. And while the characters addressed and discussed it, they also didn't do much about it. To be honest though, I'm not sure what else they could have done; they had evidence of ICE but in the big picture, it wasn't anything they could do something with. It was a good way to end an enjoyable book and leave the readers wondering what mystery was next. Oh, I will admit that I geeked out when the town of Monroe was mentioned. A solid entry into the world of Repairman Jack, but without Jack.
July 18, 2024
Another enjoyable book in this action packed love story series. Characters are great. Story always a bit over the top and still a good time.
July 19, 2019
I enjoyed this second book somewhat more than the first, mainly because the main characters, this being their second go-round, are more fleshed out. Rick and Laura are beginning to rub off on me.
The other characters are better done, too. Rick’s brother, as well as the charter boat crew, are more than cut-out characters. Their motivations are more clear than in the first book.
And of course there are the “dapis,” the name given to the blue-eyed primates. They really do steal the show. But, as in the first book, much is left unexplained: how did their island go so long undiscovered? How in the world did the dapis end up on their unique evolutionary path? There are guesses, but nothing can be proven. I’m hoping all is revealed in the third book of the trilogy.
I didn’t catch in the first book that this series is part of Wilson’s “Secret History of the World,” part of the “Adversary” and “Repairman Jack” series story lines. It’ll be interesting to see just how these book fit into the rest.
The other characters are better done, too. Rick’s brother, as well as the charter boat crew, are more than cut-out characters. Their motivations are more clear than in the first book.
And of course there are the “dapis,” the name given to the blue-eyed primates. They really do steal the show. But, as in the first book, much is left unexplained: how did their island go so long undiscovered? How in the world did the dapis end up on their unique evolutionary path? There are guesses, but nothing can be proven. I’m hoping all is revealed in the third book of the trilogy.
I didn’t catch in the first book that this series is part of Wilson’s “Secret History of the World,” part of the “Adversary” and “Repairman Jack” series story lines. It’ll be interesting to see just how these book fit into the rest.
April 9, 2018
This is the second book in this sequence, it starts right where the first left off, and there are numerous references to events in the first book but you don't have to have read that one in order to enjoy this.
Rick Hayden, a former SEAL-trained CIA operative, and Dr. Laura Fanning, a New York Medical Examiner, return from a violence shadowed search through Europe to find that Rick's adoptive brother has disappeared with no hints as to why or how. Laura watches an interview Keith gave after his book came out and comments that he obviously suffers from some level of autism. Since Keith is a successful successful zoologist at NYU and no one ever suggested autism before it causes Rick to rethink his feelings about the brother and he decides, as the best trained person available, to find out what has happened.
We're given a crash course in genetics so that we have some idea as to what is motivating Keith's actions. Keith had been in East Africa and brought back a blue eyed lemur-like creature he called Mozi, a creature of whom he was obsessively fond, to his mother's annoyance (jealousy?). No one had ever see anything like this little arborealist and Keith runs its genome to see where it fits on the tree of creatures. Something he finds drives him into some sort of panic and to complicate things Mozi dies of unknown causes and Keith has her remains cremated.
The book follows Laura and Rick's search through Keith's finances (via a forensic accountant) and the discovery that Keith's money has all gone to a Grand Cayman account where it is being accessed by a South African named Martin Jeukens. There are inserts in the action placing Jeukens with an exotic animal trader and the two of them looking for an island where the blue-eyed creatures can be found. We learn early on that one thing Keith did find out about Mozi is that her genome carries the "creativity" gene, the gene which seems to have jump started a lot of civilisation and which some people are calling the "god gene" because it doesn't seem to have developed anywhere and there are suggestions that it was inserted by God.
The book is filled with various forms of violence, a lot of thinking and speculating about genes, evolution, relationships, violent actions, guilt, and responsibility.
I found the story compelling and the action logical except for Jeukens' conclusions, which strike me as a little hysterical and certainly not inevitable.
Rick Hayden, a former SEAL-trained CIA operative, and Dr. Laura Fanning, a New York Medical Examiner, return from a violence shadowed search through Europe to find that Rick's adoptive brother has disappeared with no hints as to why or how. Laura watches an interview Keith gave after his book came out and comments that he obviously suffers from some level of autism. Since Keith is a successful successful zoologist at NYU and no one ever suggested autism before it causes Rick to rethink his feelings about the brother and he decides, as the best trained person available, to find out what has happened.
We're given a crash course in genetics so that we have some idea as to what is motivating Keith's actions. Keith had been in East Africa and brought back a blue eyed lemur-like creature he called Mozi, a creature of whom he was obsessively fond, to his mother's annoyance (jealousy?). No one had ever see anything like this little arborealist and Keith runs its genome to see where it fits on the tree of creatures. Something he finds drives him into some sort of panic and to complicate things Mozi dies of unknown causes and Keith has her remains cremated.
The book follows Laura and Rick's search through Keith's finances (via a forensic accountant) and the discovery that Keith's money has all gone to a Grand Cayman account where it is being accessed by a South African named Martin Jeukens. There are inserts in the action placing Jeukens with an exotic animal trader and the two of them looking for an island where the blue-eyed creatures can be found. We learn early on that one thing Keith did find out about Mozi is that her genome carries the "creativity" gene, the gene which seems to have jump started a lot of civilisation and which some people are calling the "god gene" because it doesn't seem to have developed anywhere and there are suggestions that it was inserted by God.
The book is filled with various forms of violence, a lot of thinking and speculating about genes, evolution, relationships, violent actions, guilt, and responsibility.
I found the story compelling and the action logical except for Jeukens' conclusions, which strike me as a little hysterical and certainly not inevitable.
July 3, 2021
Medical Examiner Laura Fanning and former CIA/SEAL-trained mercenary Rick Haydon are back in the second volume of the ICE trilogy. It’s about one month following the events that occurred in Panacea and now they are off to locate Rick’s estranged brother Keith who’s been missing for a couple of months. Seems Keith, a zoologist of some renown had been working with a strange blue-eyed primate of some kind and had discovered something strange about it just before his disappearance. Rick and Laura follow his trail all the way to an unknown island off the coast of Madagascar and discover for themselves the amazing qualities of these cute critters, including an amazing capacity to quickly learn and implement new knowledge simply by observing human behavior.
This is another intriguing novel by the man behind the Repairman Jack novels and the “Adversary Cycle”. As in Panacea, it thrusts Laura and Rick (and us) into a situation where we must believe the impossible. In fact Laura still has trouble accepting the reality of a Panacea cure-all that was brought to light in the first book. With this second book, we also get an understanding behind the name of the trilogy: ICE. This stands for “Intrusive Cosmic Entities” and it’s becoming clearer just how much these books relate to the whole F. Paul Wilson connected universe known as the "Secret History of the World". I love these connections to the larger whole but if readers are not familiar with the author’s previous books, there is still plenty of suspenseful adventure here to fulfill your needs.
Looking forward to the final book in the trilogy.
This is another intriguing novel by the man behind the Repairman Jack novels and the “Adversary Cycle”. As in Panacea, it thrusts Laura and Rick (and us) into a situation where we must believe the impossible. In fact Laura still has trouble accepting the reality of a Panacea cure-all that was brought to light in the first book. With this second book, we also get an understanding behind the name of the trilogy: ICE. This stands for “Intrusive Cosmic Entities” and it’s becoming clearer just how much these books relate to the whole F. Paul Wilson connected universe known as the "Secret History of the World". I love these connections to the larger whole but if readers are not familiar with the author’s previous books, there is still plenty of suspenseful adventure here to fulfill your needs.
Looking forward to the final book in the trilogy.
August 19, 2020
I think I liked Panacea just a bit better (the first book in the trilogy). I’m not sure why. I think part of it was that I didn’t like the part about Martin until everything converged. Damn smart monkeys that aren’t monkeys, though. Kind of makes me think of the movie Gremlins. Except these little dudes don’t physically change their appearance when they get nasty. Overall another fun read and entertaining read from a favorite author.
January 26, 2018
Over the course of a 40-plus year career as a novelist, practicing physician F. Paul Wilson has woven together several of his books as a part of a Secret History that outlines a battle between good and evil on a cosmic scale. First the Adversary Cycle, then the interweaving Repairman Jack series and now the Intrusive Cosmic Entities (ICE) sequence. The latest began with 2017's Panacea and continues with The God Gene.
Medical examiner Laura Fanning and mercenary Rick Hayden are still recovering emotionally from the events of Panacea when a chance news item lets Rick know his brother is missing. Although they were both adopted and differed in age, Rick believes he needs to track his brother Keith, who liquidated all of his assets and disappeared into Africa after finding a strange blue-eyed primate. Laura accompanies him despite the danger, and the pair find themselves facing smugglers, unscrupulous pilots and a brilliant scientist who may be past the edge of madness and who might endanger them all to fulfill his deadly plan. But their discovery of what at first seemed like a lost species of lemur might be even worse, leading to events that could endanger the lives of millions.
Wilson's medical background gives him a very good handle on the genetic oddities of the primates at the center of the story and the so-called "God gene" they share with humans. In more than a few places his exposition enters MEGO (My Eyes Glaze Over) territory, but most of the time it's in small enough doses to stay within the story. And after 40 years, he can write characters who are fairly engaging in spite of their shallowness and strongly stereotypical nature, as well as maintain tension across several acts of his story.
But he trips over many of the same things that hobbled him in the Repairman Jack series -- at crucial points he takes a left turn into the supernatural and invalidates nearly all of the terrestrial work he's done. In one of those novels, Jack's own arrogance leads directly to the deaths of two people he tried to help, but before we can see this take any toll on him we ramp up into the World Beyond and the problems of two dead people don't amount to a hill of beans. When we learn the secret behind the strange primates and their connection to Rick's missing brother, we almost immediately veer into the realm of the Intrusive Cosmic Entities and most of the science we had seen put to use in understanding the primates is rendered meaningless.
Wilson's a confessed fan of the "eldritch horror" of H. P. Lovecraft and ties most of his Secret History into a dispute between beings as vast and unknowable as Cthulhu itself. But he rarely manages the transition from the mundane to the macabre as well as Lovecraft did and it sends him off track all too often. He can write horror thrillers -- Midnight Mass is one of the better vampire stories of the last 25 years and it skillfully weaves its horror and action thriller elements together. But when it comes to his signature meta-series, he can too often be too clever for his own good. The God Gene is one of those times.
Original available here.
Medical examiner Laura Fanning and mercenary Rick Hayden are still recovering emotionally from the events of Panacea when a chance news item lets Rick know his brother is missing. Although they were both adopted and differed in age, Rick believes he needs to track his brother Keith, who liquidated all of his assets and disappeared into Africa after finding a strange blue-eyed primate. Laura accompanies him despite the danger, and the pair find themselves facing smugglers, unscrupulous pilots and a brilliant scientist who may be past the edge of madness and who might endanger them all to fulfill his deadly plan. But their discovery of what at first seemed like a lost species of lemur might be even worse, leading to events that could endanger the lives of millions.
Wilson's medical background gives him a very good handle on the genetic oddities of the primates at the center of the story and the so-called "God gene" they share with humans. In more than a few places his exposition enters MEGO (My Eyes Glaze Over) territory, but most of the time it's in small enough doses to stay within the story. And after 40 years, he can write characters who are fairly engaging in spite of their shallowness and strongly stereotypical nature, as well as maintain tension across several acts of his story.
But he trips over many of the same things that hobbled him in the Repairman Jack series -- at crucial points he takes a left turn into the supernatural and invalidates nearly all of the terrestrial work he's done. In one of those novels, Jack's own arrogance leads directly to the deaths of two people he tried to help, but before we can see this take any toll on him we ramp up into the World Beyond and the problems of two dead people don't amount to a hill of beans. When we learn the secret behind the strange primates and their connection to Rick's missing brother, we almost immediately veer into the realm of the Intrusive Cosmic Entities and most of the science we had seen put to use in understanding the primates is rendered meaningless.
Wilson's a confessed fan of the "eldritch horror" of H. P. Lovecraft and ties most of his Secret History into a dispute between beings as vast and unknowable as Cthulhu itself. But he rarely manages the transition from the mundane to the macabre as well as Lovecraft did and it sends him off track all too often. He can write horror thrillers -- Midnight Mass is one of the better vampire stories of the last 25 years and it skillfully weaves its horror and action thriller elements together. But when it comes to his signature meta-series, he can too often be too clever for his own good. The God Gene is one of those times.
Original available here.
March 2, 2019
The God Gene is the second book in the ICE series. Once again, we follow Rick and Laura as the seek out another mysterious phenomenon, as well as searching for Rick's missing brother. It seems Rick's brother, Keith, may have found " The God Gene", something that has also been thought to be the missing link between primates and humans.
I really loved this books. It was fast paced and sucked me right in. I loved the growing relationship between Rick and Laura. They have great banter and chemistry. We also get to learn more about Rick's background and what happened in Dusseldorf.
The story waffles beween Rick and Laura's point of view and events involving poachers on the uncharted island. There is a major twist that I didn't see coming. I loved the idea of the dabis. After reading this it made me really think about what I would do if I found something like this, Would I want to share it with the world, ignore that I found it, or destroy it completely? Honestly, I still have no idea what I would do. But I was satisfied with the ending and agreed with the choice that was made in this case. I highly recommend this one as well as the first. Both can be read as stand alones. I will have a review up for The Void Protocol very soon.
I really loved this books. It was fast paced and sucked me right in. I loved the growing relationship between Rick and Laura. They have great banter and chemistry. We also get to learn more about Rick's background and what happened in Dusseldorf.
The story waffles beween Rick and Laura's point of view and events involving poachers on the uncharted island. There is a major twist that I didn't see coming. I loved the idea of the dabis. After reading this it made me really think about what I would do if I found something like this, Would I want to share it with the world, ignore that I found it, or destroy it completely? Honestly, I still have no idea what I would do. But I was satisfied with the ending and agreed with the choice that was made in this case. I highly recommend this one as well as the first. Both can be read as stand alones. I will have a review up for The Void Protocol very soon.
March 15, 2018
Rick Hayden and Laura Fanning team up again to go looking for Rick's brother, Keith Somers, who disappeared from his life as a zoologist at NYU, after killing a primate he had brought back from Mozambique. It was a strange animal, a cross between a lemur and a loris with enormous blue eyes. Meanwhile, in Africa, a South Africaan by the name of Marten Jeukens is searching for a mysterious island in the straits between Madagascar and the continent of Africa. As Rick and Laura get closer to finding Keith and uncovering the secret of the mysterious primate, unscrupulous smugglers are also closing in on the primates, certain they have found a fortune. Little do they know, these primates may be smarter than any of them. F. Paul Wilson continues his take on the secret histories of the world; entertaining reading for those who appreciate the outrageous.
February 6, 2018
The God Gene by F. Paul Wilson is a sequel to Panacea. I would definitely advise anyone wanting to read this to read Panacea first.
Wilson writes in a very engaging manner and can really spin a tale. The books I’ve read by him are real page turners even though I’m not much of a sci-fi reader. I guess that’s the mark of a superb novelist: if he holds your attention while telling you a story you didn’t think you were interested in!
Highly recommended!
Wilson writes in a very engaging manner and can really spin a tale. The books I’ve read by him are real page turners even though I’m not much of a sci-fi reader. I guess that’s the mark of a superb novelist: if he holds your attention while telling you a story you didn’t think you were interested in!
Highly recommended!
March 26, 2018
This is my first try at a F. Paul Wilson novel. I am afraid that there seem to been too many interconnected books, story lines and characters to make this work for me. I finally gave up. There was not just enough there to urge me to go back in time to early books to create a base line for the books that come thereafter.
February 28, 2019
Giving The God Gene 3 stars only because neat story line. Found myself doing lots of eye roles throughout the book. In Panacea (bk 1) one of the 2 main characters would have killed a villan in a heartbeat. In The God Gene villans had to almost beg him to do harm. Just an example. At some point I found myself wondering if the same author had written both books.
January 17, 2018
The characters in this series just aren't as compelling as the ones in the Repairman Jack series. And the storyline should be a lot more interesting than it really is. Maybe this series just isn't for me.
February 4, 2020
The second in the trilogy that begins with "Panacea," "The God Gene" is yet another adventure that combines Laura the Medical Examiner and Rick the bodyguard to a billionaire. They have just begun to get romantic together at the end of "Panacea," and this chemistry continues to flourish, with Rick becoming a favorite of Laura's recovered daughter. Now, Laura and Rick take off to an island off the coast of Madagascar, where every satellite map says no island exists. It's the home to a previously-undiscovered tiny primate with blue eyes, monkey-like, yet not, lemur-like, yet not. It's also extremely intelligent. Rick's brother Keith has disappeared, following his discovery of the animal, and Rick and Laura, searching for him, find his trail leads here.
Rick wonders if this little, impossibly intelligent primate, could have been"placed" on Earth to confound the path of humans, by the overlords of the universe.
P.137:
"early on she'd dismissed Rick's wild theory that sapience was so rare in the universe that it attracted attention - the wrong kind. As a result, humans had become the playthings of 'intellects vast, cool, and unsympathetic'-- a phrase he'd snagged from H.G. Wells. He claimed the Panacea--the ikhar--had been created by these intellects to throw a monkey wrench into all of humankind's concepts of a knowable universe by breaking All the rules.
Ridiculous, right?
But that Blithe certainty had been turned on its pointed little head. After seeing the ikhar cure a raging viral meningitis, a cardiomyopathy, and now end - stage MS, she had to wonder if maybe it had truly originated, as Rick put it, outside."
This author is a speciesist, like almost every single human in the Western world. They can't stand the suffering of the Animals we call our"pets," but every other Animal that can serve the oh-so-deserving (fuc*ing) human is fair game:
P.146:
"Laura said, 'does it ever bother you? The animals, I mean?'
Laura couldn't help remembering the dog she'd operated on in med school and finally had to sacrifice. Even though it was unconscious under heavy anesthesia, it damn near ripped her heart out when she tied off its main coronary artery.
Mito shrugged. 'It did at first. But my job is to see that they stay healthy and are treated humanely. You can't romanticize them, or anthropomorphize them.'
'hard not to when we share common ancestors.'
'look, they play an indispensable part in saving hundreds, thousands, sometimes millions of human lives.' "
Another example of speciesism, and a reason why the author lost one-half a star:
P.157:
"Knowing his life span depended on what happened next, Mahdi trembled as he watched the rat in horrid fascination.
'H-how long will the VX take?'
'not long. It's quickly absorbed through the skin. But I hate to call it VX.' he turned to the cage. Dear rat, you've just been sprayed with O - ethyl S - two - diisopropylaminoethyl methylphosphonothiolate. Isn't that a beautiful name? Why settle for a colorless abbreviation like VX when the full name has so much more character?'
Mahdi had no watch and wished he could check his phone to keep track of the passing time, but it sat on the table inside. He would leave it if he could and buy a new one in town. He wanted very much to be far, far away from this man.
The rat began to Twitch.
'see? The acetylcholinesterase blockade is spreading, causing uncontrolled muscle contractions. After a series of normal contractions, the super contractions start, effectively paralyzing the victim.'
the rat's breathing became rapid. Soon it was trembling all over.
'eventually the super contractions hit the diaphragm, and when the diaphragm stops working...'
suddenly the rat went into a prolonged fit -- Mahdi had seen an epileptic seizure once and this was very much like that, only worse. it ended in the stillness of death.
Mahdi let out a long, slow breath. The VX had worked...horribly. What an awful way to die, even for garbage - eating vermin."
Yes, I will read the next book in the series. For one reason, Jeukens, the South African who Rick believes is his brother Keith, gave us plenty of hints that he is not really Keith, leaving me with questions. And, I want to experience more of the travelogue-type scenery that these protagonists get to travel to. 🤷♀️
Rick wonders if this little, impossibly intelligent primate, could have been"placed" on Earth to confound the path of humans, by the overlords of the universe.
P.137:
"early on she'd dismissed Rick's wild theory that sapience was so rare in the universe that it attracted attention - the wrong kind. As a result, humans had become the playthings of 'intellects vast, cool, and unsympathetic'-- a phrase he'd snagged from H.G. Wells. He claimed the Panacea--the ikhar--had been created by these intellects to throw a monkey wrench into all of humankind's concepts of a knowable universe by breaking All the rules.
Ridiculous, right?
But that Blithe certainty had been turned on its pointed little head. After seeing the ikhar cure a raging viral meningitis, a cardiomyopathy, and now end - stage MS, she had to wonder if maybe it had truly originated, as Rick put it, outside."
This author is a speciesist, like almost every single human in the Western world. They can't stand the suffering of the Animals we call our"pets," but every other Animal that can serve the oh-so-deserving (fuc*ing) human is fair game:
P.146:
"Laura said, 'does it ever bother you? The animals, I mean?'
Laura couldn't help remembering the dog she'd operated on in med school and finally had to sacrifice. Even though it was unconscious under heavy anesthesia, it damn near ripped her heart out when she tied off its main coronary artery.
Mito shrugged. 'It did at first. But my job is to see that they stay healthy and are treated humanely. You can't romanticize them, or anthropomorphize them.'
'hard not to when we share common ancestors.'
'look, they play an indispensable part in saving hundreds, thousands, sometimes millions of human lives.' "
Another example of speciesism, and a reason why the author lost one-half a star:
P.157:
"Knowing his life span depended on what happened next, Mahdi trembled as he watched the rat in horrid fascination.
'H-how long will the VX take?'
'not long. It's quickly absorbed through the skin. But I hate to call it VX.' he turned to the cage. Dear rat, you've just been sprayed with O - ethyl S - two - diisopropylaminoethyl methylphosphonothiolate. Isn't that a beautiful name? Why settle for a colorless abbreviation like VX when the full name has so much more character?'
Mahdi had no watch and wished he could check his phone to keep track of the passing time, but it sat on the table inside. He would leave it if he could and buy a new one in town. He wanted very much to be far, far away from this man.
The rat began to Twitch.
'see? The acetylcholinesterase blockade is spreading, causing uncontrolled muscle contractions. After a series of normal contractions, the super contractions start, effectively paralyzing the victim.'
the rat's breathing became rapid. Soon it was trembling all over.
'eventually the super contractions hit the diaphragm, and when the diaphragm stops working...'
suddenly the rat went into a prolonged fit -- Mahdi had seen an epileptic seizure once and this was very much like that, only worse. it ended in the stillness of death.
Mahdi let out a long, slow breath. The VX had worked...horribly. What an awful way to die, even for garbage - eating vermin."
Yes, I will read the next book in the series. For one reason, Jeukens, the South African who Rick believes is his brother Keith, gave us plenty of hints that he is not really Keith, leaving me with questions. And, I want to experience more of the travelogue-type scenery that these protagonists get to travel to. 🤷♀️
September 30, 2020
F. Paul Wilson’s The God Gene: A Novel (The ICE Sequence Book 2) picks up a little after the close of Panacea. Rick Hayden’s adoptive brother Keith (a zoologist) has gone missing. He liquidated all of his assets and transferred them overseas first, so the cops figure he just left voluntarily and aren’t particularly looking for him. Meanwhile, a South African man named Marten Jeukens is looking for a mysterious island that is the source of a new type of… well, not actually a monkey. These creatures, whom he dubs dapis, are extraordinarily smart and capable of learning very quickly. There’s also something strange hidden away in their genetic code. Marten is up to something–in addition to hiring a boat to look for that island, he’s purchasing strange cannisters of liquid–among other things.
I really have a beef with Laura in this volume (yes, more so than in the last volume–that’s why I noted that it was her depiction across the books that was annoying). She becomes really sanctimonious and naive about a handful of things. For one, Rick has pretty much no relationship at all with his adoptive mother. Laura patronizingly compares her to a Nazi in order to make the point that she can’t be that bad, and is entirely condescending about his feelings without knowing the first thing about their relationship. No one knows how bad a person’s relationship with their family is or is not, and no one should require someone to justify their familial feelings. Especially since it isn’t like she’s his fiancee or something, so she really has no right to butt in. The naivete comes in when she flips out over having to pass bribes once they start traveling to certain countries, and almost screws them over in a couple of places because of it.
One of the new characters in this volume is Hari, an Indian woman who is a forensic accountant. She’s confident, loud-mouthed in an entirely fun way, and incredibly good at what she does. For someone with a very limited amount of screen time, she’s disproportionately colorful and fun.
Laura and Rick’s seemingly burgeoning relationship has, of course, fallen apart, so we can have more of that will-they/won’t-they, and so Rick can flagellate himself with thoughts of how she’s too good for him. It’s a little annoying, but not too bad.
There’s lots of adventure to be had. An island full of dapis, betrayal, death, helicopters crashing, boats disabled, explosives, and bizarre mental disorders. The depiction of Marten is… I can’t say a lot without giving things away, but it’s weird, and it kind of works in how it’s done. It’s also intriguing to see how this fits into Rick’s ICE theories. It’s odd that he and Laura seem to be becoming the world’s secret-keepers.
Content note for animal harm and sexual content.
Original review posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2020/09/r...
I really have a beef with Laura in this volume (yes, more so than in the last volume–that’s why I noted that it was her depiction across the books that was annoying). She becomes really sanctimonious and naive about a handful of things. For one, Rick has pretty much no relationship at all with his adoptive mother. Laura patronizingly compares her to a Nazi in order to make the point that she can’t be that bad, and is entirely condescending about his feelings without knowing the first thing about their relationship. No one knows how bad a person’s relationship with their family is or is not, and no one should require someone to justify their familial feelings. Especially since it isn’t like she’s his fiancee or something, so she really has no right to butt in. The naivete comes in when she flips out over having to pass bribes once they start traveling to certain countries, and almost screws them over in a couple of places because of it.
One of the new characters in this volume is Hari, an Indian woman who is a forensic accountant. She’s confident, loud-mouthed in an entirely fun way, and incredibly good at what she does. For someone with a very limited amount of screen time, she’s disproportionately colorful and fun.
Laura and Rick’s seemingly burgeoning relationship has, of course, fallen apart, so we can have more of that will-they/won’t-they, and so Rick can flagellate himself with thoughts of how she’s too good for him. It’s a little annoying, but not too bad.
There’s lots of adventure to be had. An island full of dapis, betrayal, death, helicopters crashing, boats disabled, explosives, and bizarre mental disorders. The depiction of Marten is… I can’t say a lot without giving things away, but it’s weird, and it kind of works in how it’s done. It’s also intriguing to see how this fits into Rick’s ICE theories. It’s odd that he and Laura seem to be becoming the world’s secret-keepers.
Content note for animal harm and sexual content.
Original review posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2020/09/r...
February 3, 2018
The God Gene is the second book featuring Medical examiner Laura Fanning and mercenary Rick Hayden. Over the majority of F.Paul Wilson's long career he wrote stories in two different series the Adversary cycle and the Repairman Jack books. It eventually became clear that that They were apart of one huge universe that was threaded through 98% of of Wilson's books in a saga he calls the Secret History of the World.
Some novels are completely connected to the history some are connected by one small event or mention. It is easy to get lost in a discussion of how complex this fictional world gets, and how amazing the plotting involved it is. To me the secret history is more intertwined to Wilson's work as the Dark Tower is to King. I spent most 2012 reading the whole history in one year. So honestly I could write all day about it.
That said when the first book in this series came out I was excited for a novel by Wilson out of his saga (his last one that I can think of is the excellent vampire novel Midnight Mass). So I had mix feelings when a twist part way through the first book revealed that yes Panacea is about of the secret history. Look the way it connected was subtle and brilliant, and in this book the connection is even more intense. So yes I have to marvel at Wilson's genius. The thing is that reveal which comes in the third act is what makes the book awesome to me. I am not sure that this story will work at the same level if you are not a diehard FPW reader.
I am a die hard so this novel worked quite well for me.
Laura and Rick are great characters, and their connection to the story comes when Rick's brother Keith a famous zoolist goes missing. The biggest clue this unnatural smart primate he brought back from east Africa. Keith not only killed the primate but has taken huge lengths to erase any sign that the creature existed. Much like the first book we have a globe trotting thriller that involves exotic locales and big action scenes.
Wilson is a master of narrative slight of hand, and that is on display here with characters who have shifting and unreliable Point of views through the course of the book. The story might appear of the surface to be a simple thriller but the title suggest something deeper, and it is a huge part of the story.
What gives humans the ability to be creative and what is the thing that helped us make that leap from other primates. Oddly enough I just happened to pick a book by another Wilson at the library the same day. Unrelated Edward O. Wilson is a famous award winning biologist released a book called Origins of Creativity(my next review)that I picked up off the new releases shelf at the library. Having gone into the God Gene blind I was amused when I realized the novel and non-fiction book were on a similar topic.
The connection to the secret history is key for my enjoyment, but really the crafty thing FPW did here was write thriller about one of the biggest questions in human life. That thing that makes us creative, that gives us the ability to love and rise above instinct. I like to think of it as the reason we must be guided by compassion as it is a gift, but in this story that gene, that god gene is like a live wire. The question at had is can humanity handle the idea that those genes were created by something and not a mere accident.
Some novels are completely connected to the history some are connected by one small event or mention. It is easy to get lost in a discussion of how complex this fictional world gets, and how amazing the plotting involved it is. To me the secret history is more intertwined to Wilson's work as the Dark Tower is to King. I spent most 2012 reading the whole history in one year. So honestly I could write all day about it.
That said when the first book in this series came out I was excited for a novel by Wilson out of his saga (his last one that I can think of is the excellent vampire novel Midnight Mass). So I had mix feelings when a twist part way through the first book revealed that yes Panacea is about of the secret history. Look the way it connected was subtle and brilliant, and in this book the connection is even more intense. So yes I have to marvel at Wilson's genius. The thing is that reveal which comes in the third act is what makes the book awesome to me. I am not sure that this story will work at the same level if you are not a diehard FPW reader.
I am a die hard so this novel worked quite well for me.
Laura and Rick are great characters, and their connection to the story comes when Rick's brother Keith a famous zoolist goes missing. The biggest clue this unnatural smart primate he brought back from east Africa. Keith not only killed the primate but has taken huge lengths to erase any sign that the creature existed. Much like the first book we have a globe trotting thriller that involves exotic locales and big action scenes.
Wilson is a master of narrative slight of hand, and that is on display here with characters who have shifting and unreliable Point of views through the course of the book. The story might appear of the surface to be a simple thriller but the title suggest something deeper, and it is a huge part of the story.
What gives humans the ability to be creative and what is the thing that helped us make that leap from other primates. Oddly enough I just happened to pick a book by another Wilson at the library the same day. Unrelated Edward O. Wilson is a famous award winning biologist released a book called Origins of Creativity(my next review)that I picked up off the new releases shelf at the library. Having gone into the God Gene blind I was amused when I realized the novel and non-fiction book were on a similar topic.
The connection to the secret history is key for my enjoyment, but really the crafty thing FPW did here was write thriller about one of the biggest questions in human life. That thing that makes us creative, that gives us the ability to love and rise above instinct. I like to think of it as the reason we must be guided by compassion as it is a gift, but in this story that gene, that god gene is like a live wire. The question at had is can humanity handle the idea that those genes were created by something and not a mere accident.
March 21, 2021
The God Gene (The Ice Sequence 2) by F. Paul Wilson
Please give my Amazon review a helpful vote - https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-re...
This is an entertaining page-turner, but it somewhat telegraphed its punches. I enjoyed it as part of Wilson's "Secret History of the World" series.
Rick Hayden and Laura Fanning return from Panacea. It turns out that Rick is from a dysfunctional wealthy family and that his famous zoologist brother, Keith, has gone missing. Before he went missing, Keith had been obsessed with a blue-eyed primate named Mozzi that had been unusually intelligent. Rick promises to find Keith and, so, he and Laura start out on an investigation that takes them to an undiscovered island off of Mozambique.
In a parallel story, a South African named Marten Jeukens is obsessed with finding an island where blue-eyed primates can be found. Jeukens secures the services of Amaury Lafitte, an animal poacher, and the two set off to find the island.
The resolution will further Rick's theory that "Intermeddling Cosmic Entities" ("ICE") are screwing with humanity. It seems....and you should avoid this as *SPOILER* territory, these primates have the gene that provides human level creativity...which seemed obvious from the time that Mozzi is mentioned...but the kicker is that they have no "junk DNA." Apparently, this is what kicked off Keith's disappearance and the subsequent events.
As Earth-shattering reveals go, this seems small by itself, but from the standpoint of the series, it seems like another piece of the puzzle. So, the enjoyment of this book depends on whether you are reading it as a stand-alone book or part of the series.
The book is an enjoyable read, but the pieces seem less significant than the overall book.
Please give my Amazon review a helpful vote - https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-re...
This is an entertaining page-turner, but it somewhat telegraphed its punches. I enjoyed it as part of Wilson's "Secret History of the World" series.
Rick Hayden and Laura Fanning return from Panacea. It turns out that Rick is from a dysfunctional wealthy family and that his famous zoologist brother, Keith, has gone missing. Before he went missing, Keith had been obsessed with a blue-eyed primate named Mozzi that had been unusually intelligent. Rick promises to find Keith and, so, he and Laura start out on an investigation that takes them to an undiscovered island off of Mozambique.
In a parallel story, a South African named Marten Jeukens is obsessed with finding an island where blue-eyed primates can be found. Jeukens secures the services of Amaury Lafitte, an animal poacher, and the two set off to find the island.
The resolution will further Rick's theory that "Intermeddling Cosmic Entities" ("ICE") are screwing with humanity. It seems....and you should avoid this as *SPOILER* territory, these primates have the gene that provides human level creativity...which seemed obvious from the time that Mozzi is mentioned...but the kicker is that they have no "junk DNA." Apparently, this is what kicked off Keith's disappearance and the subsequent events.
As Earth-shattering reveals go, this seems small by itself, but from the standpoint of the series, it seems like another piece of the puzzle. So, the enjoyment of this book depends on whether you are reading it as a stand-alone book or part of the series.
The book is an enjoyable read, but the pieces seem less significant than the overall book.
April 15, 2022
"The God Gene" is yet another winner in the ICE Sequence, ICE standing for Intrusive Cosmic Entities. If you read F. Paul Wilson's novels, he has a fun understanding that runs beneath most of them that there is a "Secret History" being played out, with us poor earthlings as ping pong balls in the midst of a larger battle. "The God Gene" continues the relationship between Dr. Laura Fanning and Rick Hayden.
I can't honestly say that I can explain exactly how the "God Gene" in the book works. I would have to re-read that section. But it doesn't matter much from the standpoint of the plot of the novel. It serves as the MacGuffin that drives the action of the novel. Or, rather, the lemur-like creature that possesses it. Rick's brother turns up missing and Rick and Laura are back in action, trying to find him and also trying to understand the genetic mystery that has caused him to disappear. There are not that many main characters in the book, since most of the action takes place on an island, but they are all well done.
F. Paul Wilson is a medical doctor, so he adds nice touches of medical knowledge along the way. Fortunately this is not done in the usual, "So, Dr. Blah Blah, what exactly is blah blah blah?" way that most authors hand it, with long exposition to follow. Wilson is more artful, which I appreciate a lot as a reader. As always, there are loads of cultural references, in-jokes, running references throughout the book, all of which add to the experience. When I read Wilson's novels, I always have a sort-of goofy half-smile on my face. He is a lot of fun and as always, I am ready for number 3 in the ICE Sequence, "The Void Protocol".
I can't honestly say that I can explain exactly how the "God Gene" in the book works. I would have to re-read that section. But it doesn't matter much from the standpoint of the plot of the novel. It serves as the MacGuffin that drives the action of the novel. Or, rather, the lemur-like creature that possesses it. Rick's brother turns up missing and Rick and Laura are back in action, trying to find him and also trying to understand the genetic mystery that has caused him to disappear. There are not that many main characters in the book, since most of the action takes place on an island, but they are all well done.
F. Paul Wilson is a medical doctor, so he adds nice touches of medical knowledge along the way. Fortunately this is not done in the usual, "So, Dr. Blah Blah, what exactly is blah blah blah?" way that most authors hand it, with long exposition to follow. Wilson is more artful, which I appreciate a lot as a reader. As always, there are loads of cultural references, in-jokes, running references throughout the book, all of which add to the experience. When I read Wilson's novels, I always have a sort-of goofy half-smile on my face. He is a lot of fun and as always, I am ready for number 3 in the ICE Sequence, "The Void Protocol".
May 28, 2023
Hot off their adventure with the panacea, Rick Hayden and Laura Fanning are back for another adventure. Rick's brother Keith, a renowned zoologist with a best-selling book, has vanished. But before he disappeared he liquidated all his assets and cremated the remains of his pet, a small blue-eyed primate unlike any seen before.
Meanwhile, in Mozambique an Afrikaner has hired a man known to sell exotic animals to help him find an uncharted island off the coast of Madagascar, and is currently wanted by the police as a person of interest in the death of a local pilot. Through forensic research of Keith's accounts everything points to a connection between his disappearance and the arrival of the Afrikaner. Rick and Laura head to Africa where they will find secrets that may include the "missing link" to human evolution, yet another secret the whole of society isn't meant to know.
This was one heck of an adventure. With all the science, mysteries of genomes and intrigue a I had to keep reminding myself that this was an F. Paul Wilson novel and not one by Michael Crichton, just because the scientific detail and the way the story played out was very reminiscent of the techno-thrillers Crichton was known for. But this was as exciting as any of Wilson's Repairman Jack stories and I'm eager to see where the third book in the series goes.
Meanwhile, in Mozambique an Afrikaner has hired a man known to sell exotic animals to help him find an uncharted island off the coast of Madagascar, and is currently wanted by the police as a person of interest in the death of a local pilot. Through forensic research of Keith's accounts everything points to a connection between his disappearance and the arrival of the Afrikaner. Rick and Laura head to Africa where they will find secrets that may include the "missing link" to human evolution, yet another secret the whole of society isn't meant to know.
This was one heck of an adventure. With all the science, mysteries of genomes and intrigue a I had to keep reminding myself that this was an F. Paul Wilson novel and not one by Michael Crichton, just because the scientific detail and the way the story played out was very reminiscent of the techno-thrillers Crichton was known for. But this was as exciting as any of Wilson's Repairman Jack stories and I'm eager to see where the third book in the series goes.
September 19, 2018
Wilson has veered back into Repairman Jack territory with his new series of three books in what is being called the ICE sequence. The ICE sequence books have an all different cast, but the stories could easily have been from the previous series. This second book, retaining the characters from the first book continues where the first book left off. While there are elements from the first book, the story is entirely different about a missing brother, an unusual and previously undiscovered primate species and a curious mystery surrounding these primates.
As in his other series, both stories hint at a larger cosmic connection that will likely be exposed in the third and I think final book in the series.
As always, Wilson tells a good story and writes well. Having read all the Repairman Jack stories, I am delighted by this further series.
As in his other series, both stories hint at a larger cosmic connection that will likely be exposed in the third and I think final book in the series.
As always, Wilson tells a good story and writes well. Having read all the Repairman Jack stories, I am delighted by this further series.
October 26, 2023
This is the second book of the trilogy with Laura Fanning and Rick Hayden. In this novel, they travel to Madagascar to find Rick's brother, as well as some very interesting blue-eyed primates. The primates are very intelligent and are able to learn from human behavior. And if you've seen human behavior, that's not always a good thing.
One of the fun things about F. Paul Wilson's books is that even with different storylines and different characters, he weaves the Secret History throughout. Most of his books are self-standing, but if you've read most of them, you'll pick up on characters, places, and themes that recur.
One of the fun things about F. Paul Wilson's books is that even with different storylines and different characters, he weaves the Secret History throughout. Most of his books are self-standing, but if you've read most of them, you'll pick up on characters, places, and themes that recur.
March 7, 2022
The first half is reasonably paced and interesting. At least until the big revelation halfway through the book. A revelation, while mildly clever, that never has a satisfactory explanation. The last half of the book is a slow-as-molasses drawn out slog with neither the protagonists or antagonists reacting in a believably realistic manner (because it would have ended the story a lot sooner one way or another). A disappointing follow-up to Panacea with some good bits, just not enough to recommend it.
January 18, 2019
A nice taught thriller, as is usual for him. The ultimate motivation for the villain in the story I found a bit annoying, but a plausable motivation at least.
I had reread the first book in the series before reading this one and they hang together nicely. My real only complaint is that they remind me of his the Repairman Jack series, only just not quite as good. There are very similar elements, but the previous series has played out so I am still thankful for these - so on to the next one.
I had reread the first book in the series before reading this one and they hang together nicely. My real only complaint is that they remind me of his the Repairman Jack series, only just not quite as good. There are very similar elements, but the previous series has played out so I am still thankful for these - so on to the next one.
March 24, 2019
This was an interesting read - this week in college I talked about genetic codes and genetic engineering :)
A primate is discovered that is very unusual - small with big blue eyes... and very very intelligent.
Rick Hayden and Laura Fanning from Panacea are the main characters. Rick's brother, Keith, seems to be missing and his mother thinks it has something to do with the "monkey". Keith is a well-known zoologist. Rick and Laura try to find Keith ... and meet the blue-eyed primates.
A primate is discovered that is very unusual - small with big blue eyes... and very very intelligent.
Rick Hayden and Laura Fanning from Panacea are the main characters. Rick's brother, Keith, seems to be missing and his mother thinks it has something to do with the "monkey". Keith is a well-known zoologist. Rick and Laura try to find Keith ... and meet the blue-eyed primates.
April 24, 2021
Laura and Rick seemed fairly extraneous to the plot for 3/4 of the book, and though it all comes together in the end, I'm docking it a star. The cut away from the main characters to the bad guys, so you can get a better picture of what's going on, should only be enough to tell the tale. I felt like this went too far, and the 'almost' multiple personality thing was kind of a dodge to keep the reader guessing, but didn't serve any greater purpose in the narrative. Still, solid F. Paul.
June 17, 2022
F. Paul Wilson has a terrific writing style that just flows and this story was entertaining and original. I enjoyed the second installment of this book sequence even more than the first. I enjoy learning more about Rick and Laura was less annoying in this novel but she did tick me off in the end. I listened to the audiobook of this novel and the narrator Hilary Huber is an excellent narrator with top notch voice acting skills. I'm disappointed the next novel is the last with these characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 22, 2018
I am 75 % into the book, and it is a winner. If you enjoy F Paul Wilson's books, this is one of the better ones. No. 1 in the Ice Series, Panacea, does not need to be read in order to understand what is going on here, but it is worth reading, the order doesn't matter really because there aare only a few spoilers in the second book.
March 30, 2018
Real nice story but the way FPW tries to fast-insert his Secret History is too darn obvious, and lame too. There is no slow build-up like in the RJ series, where you could slowly learn it and it actually made sense to you. Here you go through 3/4 of the book and suddenly you're confronted with it. As a FPW noob I'd be taken aback, as an "insider" I feel like FPW did a rush job.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews