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Mutation: We Owe Our Existence to Bacteria. So What Happens When We Abuse Them? What Happens When We Make Them Angry?
This is an alternate cover edition for ASIN B01JV1M66E
May 1997
Bacteria are earth’s oldest inhabitants. They are all around us and inside us. They help us clean up our planet; they are the reason we can continue to live on this earth. So what happens when we manipulate and abuse them?
What happens when we make them angry?
Driven by grief at the loss of his wife, an old man has gone out onto an Irish midlands lake to end his life. Only the sight of a burning cruiser stops him. He might want to die, but others on board the stricken vessel might not.
The vessel is called Clothra and the crew are engaged in a desperate struggle. There is something very bad in the water, a vile creature that is killing the lake’s users. They have to destroy it.
But not all of them feel the same.
Forced to abandon the vessel for a lifeboat, the crew attempt to lure the creature in the water to follow them, but one false move and they will also die horrible deaths. They are guided by one of their number to a secluded island where a final confrontation takes place.
As forgotten lake spirits, long dormant, are awoken by the modern day monster, myth and legend, empathy, sorrow, grief and sheer horror combine in a maelstrom as unpredictable and dangerous as the ancient lake’s weather and threatens to destroy them all.
May 1997
Bacteria are earth’s oldest inhabitants. They are all around us and inside us. They help us clean up our planet; they are the reason we can continue to live on this earth. So what happens when we manipulate and abuse them?
What happens when we make them angry?
Driven by grief at the loss of his wife, an old man has gone out onto an Irish midlands lake to end his life. Only the sight of a burning cruiser stops him. He might want to die, but others on board the stricken vessel might not.
The vessel is called Clothra and the crew are engaged in a desperate struggle. There is something very bad in the water, a vile creature that is killing the lake’s users. They have to destroy it.
But not all of them feel the same.
Forced to abandon the vessel for a lifeboat, the crew attempt to lure the creature in the water to follow them, but one false move and they will also die horrible deaths. They are guided by one of their number to a secluded island where a final confrontation takes place.
As forgotten lake spirits, long dormant, are awoken by the modern day monster, myth and legend, empathy, sorrow, grief and sheer horror combine in a maelstrom as unpredictable and dangerous as the ancient lake’s weather and threatens to destroy them all.
- GenresHorror
287 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 1, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
October 10, 2018
Originally posted on the book blog Creature From the Book Lagoon.
"May 1997
Bacteria are earth’s oldest inhabitants. They are all around us and inside us. They help us clean up our planet; they are the reason we can continue to live on this earth. So what happens when we manipulate and abuse them?
What happens when we make them angry?
Driven by grief at the loss of his wife, an old man has gone out onto an Irish midlands lake to end his life. Only the sight of a burning cruiser stops him. He might want to die, but others on board the stricken vessel might not.
The vessel is called Clothra and the crew are engaged in a desperate struggle. There is something very bad in the water, a vile creature that is killing the lake’s users. They have to destroy it.
But not all of them feel the same.
Forced to abandon the vessel for a lifeboat, the crew attempt to lure the creature in the water to follow them, but one false move and they will also die horrible deaths. They are guided by one of their number to a secluded island where a final confrontation takes place.
As forgotten lake spirits, long dormant, are awoken by the modern day monster, myth and legend, empathy, sorrow, grief and sheer horror combine in a maelstrom as unpredictable and dangerous as the ancient lake’s weather and threatens to destroy them all. "
I received this Kindle version from Netgalley & BooksGoSocial in exchange for an honest review.
Like the rolling hills of Ireland, this book had it's ups and downs.
Let's start with the Up side first. This book has a really awesome idea for a creature. Seriously. Gold stars for that. I would have never known about bacteria in factories used to eat up stuff like dyes. Pretty cool and very creepy when you stop to really think about that. Plus, the theme of science going wrong is a true classic in the horror field. The creature really creates an interesting, creepy atmosphere.
Now the downside... oh boy. Ok, so my biggest problem is that this story gets super repetitive. Like, the main character starts talking to his wife about what he thinks is going on and what this creature is. He works it all out. Well he tells this same theory to everyone he meets. That is fine. The problem is that we didn't get an edited version of this retelling. You know how it is normally, a person retells something and the author normally just says something like " After Tom was done telling Sue his theory....." or something like that, you know? Like, you don't have to sit through the same exact conversation multiple times. But we hear a lot of things multiple times and they weren't really varied in how they were phrased. So... that was very frustrating.
Another problem I had with the book, is that the writing just felt a little choppy. It's hard to explain, but I'll try... So, It felt like the transitions from sentence to sentence was a little rough. Example- First sentence has someone cooking food for dinner. The following sentence has the other character eating the dinner that was just being cooked. I don't know... It just felt like it was a little choppy in the delivery and that sometimes I felt like it was missing a segue sentence in between 2 other sentences. It wasn't terrible, but it felt like the writing just needed a little bit more fine tuning.
Mutation had a couple of problems that made it a little hard to read. The idea of the plot really stood out as creative and unique and was the best part of the book. It wasn't a terrible book, but could have used a little bit of tightening up on some of the writing.
"May 1997
Bacteria are earth’s oldest inhabitants. They are all around us and inside us. They help us clean up our planet; they are the reason we can continue to live on this earth. So what happens when we manipulate and abuse them?
What happens when we make them angry?
Driven by grief at the loss of his wife, an old man has gone out onto an Irish midlands lake to end his life. Only the sight of a burning cruiser stops him. He might want to die, but others on board the stricken vessel might not.
The vessel is called Clothra and the crew are engaged in a desperate struggle. There is something very bad in the water, a vile creature that is killing the lake’s users. They have to destroy it.
But not all of them feel the same.
Forced to abandon the vessel for a lifeboat, the crew attempt to lure the creature in the water to follow them, but one false move and they will also die horrible deaths. They are guided by one of their number to a secluded island where a final confrontation takes place.
As forgotten lake spirits, long dormant, are awoken by the modern day monster, myth and legend, empathy, sorrow, grief and sheer horror combine in a maelstrom as unpredictable and dangerous as the ancient lake’s weather and threatens to destroy them all. "
I received this Kindle version from Netgalley & BooksGoSocial in exchange for an honest review.
Like the rolling hills of Ireland, this book had it's ups and downs.
Let's start with the Up side first. This book has a really awesome idea for a creature. Seriously. Gold stars for that. I would have never known about bacteria in factories used to eat up stuff like dyes. Pretty cool and very creepy when you stop to really think about that. Plus, the theme of science going wrong is a true classic in the horror field. The creature really creates an interesting, creepy atmosphere.
Now the downside... oh boy. Ok, so my biggest problem is that this story gets super repetitive. Like, the main character starts talking to his wife about what he thinks is going on and what this creature is. He works it all out. Well he tells this same theory to everyone he meets. That is fine. The problem is that we didn't get an edited version of this retelling. You know how it is normally, a person retells something and the author normally just says something like " After Tom was done telling Sue his theory....." or something like that, you know? Like, you don't have to sit through the same exact conversation multiple times. But we hear a lot of things multiple times and they weren't really varied in how they were phrased. So... that was very frustrating.
Another problem I had with the book, is that the writing just felt a little choppy. It's hard to explain, but I'll try... So, It felt like the transitions from sentence to sentence was a little rough. Example- First sentence has someone cooking food for dinner. The following sentence has the other character eating the dinner that was just being cooked. I don't know... It just felt like it was a little choppy in the delivery and that sometimes I felt like it was missing a segue sentence in between 2 other sentences. It wasn't terrible, but it felt like the writing just needed a little bit more fine tuning.
Mutation had a couple of problems that made it a little hard to read. The idea of the plot really stood out as creative and unique and was the best part of the book. It wasn't a terrible book, but could have used a little bit of tightening up on some of the writing.
August 28, 2018
What a cracker of a debut novel. Mark Coles is a self-employed crane driver setting out on what he thinks will be just another working day. A haunted night’s sleep and shocking weather don’t deter him from the importance of getting the job done. On the job he sees the shape of something ominous escape from his toolbox and attempts to track it down before something major occurs. Teaming up with an engineer called Derek he discovers they are dealing with genetically modified bacteria which has far reaching implications for the environment.
It was a joy to get to know each character and discover how they would cope. I enjoyed the figure which appeared on the water when they most needed help and the folklore of the area. Also the reference list at the end was an interesting surprise.
Pollution, industrial, nuclear and so on, have become such massive problems. The theory of using bacteria to break down some substances seemed a great idea and this story is not unbelievable in real life. Also it is funny the things you notice in the news when reading something like this. A New Scientist magazine (24/8/18) contained an article on bacteria holding the key to universal donor blood. Researchers recently discovered that enzymes in the gut can be used to turn type A blood into type O, then used in transfusions for any blood group. Fictional or true discoveries with far reaching implications which arent always good ones.
This book has great scene setting, atmosphere and an ending involving a grisly discovery leaving me nervous and dreading the outcome.
My final few words: Environment, madness and a killer. What more could a reader ask for.
You won’t want to wear denim after finishing this one! This certainly is frighteningly believable reading.
A big thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free digital copy of this book in return for an honest review. Full marks to the author.
It was a joy to get to know each character and discover how they would cope. I enjoyed the figure which appeared on the water when they most needed help and the folklore of the area. Also the reference list at the end was an interesting surprise.
Pollution, industrial, nuclear and so on, have become such massive problems. The theory of using bacteria to break down some substances seemed a great idea and this story is not unbelievable in real life. Also it is funny the things you notice in the news when reading something like this. A New Scientist magazine (24/8/18) contained an article on bacteria holding the key to universal donor blood. Researchers recently discovered that enzymes in the gut can be used to turn type A blood into type O, then used in transfusions for any blood group. Fictional or true discoveries with far reaching implications which arent always good ones.
This book has great scene setting, atmosphere and an ending involving a grisly discovery leaving me nervous and dreading the outcome.
My final few words: Environment, madness and a killer. What more could a reader ask for.
You won’t want to wear denim after finishing this one! This certainly is frighteningly believable reading.
A big thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free digital copy of this book in return for an honest review. Full marks to the author.
September 21, 2018
Terror can come at any time, even during a routine day's work.
Crane operator Mark Coles is hard at work near the pristine lake of Lough Ree, when something evil escapes into the water. A large greenish-black singular body, roughly the size of a dead cow’s hide; a hideous mutation.
After he witnesses it kill, he knows he must act fast: It's May, and tourist season has just begun.
Meanwhile, unaware of the deadly danger he is in, and driven by grief at the loss of his wife of sixty years, eighty-three year old Marcus Fee is on the lake, intent on committing suicide. Until the sight of a burning cruiser stops him...
I like stories like these, involving an uncontrolled force of nature that could one day actually happen.
Mark Coles is a strong and interesting character and some of the people he meets along the way to stopping this mutation, are well thought out and likeable if a little two dimensional.
The plot was decent, with a medium paced storyline and enough action to keep the reader interested.
One thing I did find slightly annoying and pointless though was the apparition, it never truly explained it’s presence and seemed to take a little of the shine off the Mutation.
Well,worth a read though.
Crane operator Mark Coles is hard at work near the pristine lake of Lough Ree, when something evil escapes into the water. A large greenish-black singular body, roughly the size of a dead cow’s hide; a hideous mutation.
After he witnesses it kill, he knows he must act fast: It's May, and tourist season has just begun.
Meanwhile, unaware of the deadly danger he is in, and driven by grief at the loss of his wife of sixty years, eighty-three year old Marcus Fee is on the lake, intent on committing suicide. Until the sight of a burning cruiser stops him...
I like stories like these, involving an uncontrolled force of nature that could one day actually happen.
Mark Coles is a strong and interesting character and some of the people he meets along the way to stopping this mutation, are well thought out and likeable if a little two dimensional.
The plot was decent, with a medium paced storyline and enough action to keep the reader interested.
One thing I did find slightly annoying and pointless though was the apparition, it never truly explained it’s presence and seemed to take a little of the shine off the Mutation.
Well,worth a read though.
September 2, 2018
On a day in May in Ireland at the Lough Ree in Roscommo, Marcus Gee is planning suicide with a gun and a bottle of whiskey. He's eighty three and lonely and sick. He sees smoke on the water and decides to investigate. A while before, scientists in Cuba are working on a way to clean bodies of water with a genetically altered bacteria. They don't understand that it is becoming else. Back in Ireland, Mark Coles is a crane operator who is called to lift an aerator from a mill in the middle of a storm. As he is lifting it, lightning hits the water. The bacteria which looks like an oil slick, violently reacts and escapes into the water of Lough Ree. It kills and eats several people that have come to fish or sit by the water. Greedy corporations, tough locals and a genetically produced monster combine to make this one of the scariest horror stories written. Scary because we know that this kind of engineering is possible and and can be used for the wrong thing. Well written with many references included. I received this book from Net Galley and BooksGoSocial for a honest review and no compensation otherwise.
October 12, 2018
Originally released under the title, Dark Waters, Mutation is Roy Hunt’s debut novel. With this in mind, I’ve tried not to be as critical as I would with a more seasoned author, and the rating I have given reflects this.
A textile company in the Irish county of Roscommon is trying to mitigate the ecological damage caused by its processes, and turns to genetically engineered bacteria to solve its problem. However, messing with nature is never advisable, and a timely accident sees the bacteria escape into the vast waters of Lough Ree. The body count starts to rise, and it soon becomes clear that the bacteria have mutated into a creature far more dangerous that could have been imagined.
It becomes clear through the novel that the author really did his research before he put pen to paper, but he seems to be regurgitating the research rather than writing about it in a way that fit the story, which makes for a jarring narrative. The characters fade into the background, and it’s sometimes difficult to remember who is who.
Despite this, Mutation is a decent enough premise, and is still worth a look at.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
A textile company in the Irish county of Roscommon is trying to mitigate the ecological damage caused by its processes, and turns to genetically engineered bacteria to solve its problem. However, messing with nature is never advisable, and a timely accident sees the bacteria escape into the vast waters of Lough Ree. The body count starts to rise, and it soon becomes clear that the bacteria have mutated into a creature far more dangerous that could have been imagined.
It becomes clear through the novel that the author really did his research before he put pen to paper, but he seems to be regurgitating the research rather than writing about it in a way that fit the story, which makes for a jarring narrative. The characters fade into the background, and it’s sometimes difficult to remember who is who.
Despite this, Mutation is a decent enough premise, and is still worth a look at.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 4, 2018
'Dark Waters' or 'Mutation' is an interesting read with a real message about tinkering with nature and of human nature. The basic premise, that a genetically engineered bacteria used for bioremediation has evolved into something deadly and has managed to get into a lake in Ireland and is killing people, is a great starting point. From there the plot builds.
As an environmental scientist, I found the whole thing plausible and interesting. Unfortunately, the story is let down a little by overwriting. I gave Roy Hunt 4 stars but concede that it is a 4-. Most readers will get the basic plot if told once or a couple of times but running over how the bacterial beast was created multiple times tends to bog down the story and tests the patience of the reader. Similarly, there was a little too much detail on the history of the lake and various environmental talking points that were expounded upon by the characters in the story that lowered the entertainment value and it became more of a textbook of ideas in part.
But overall a good read. Well done.
As an environmental scientist, I found the whole thing plausible and interesting. Unfortunately, the story is let down a little by overwriting. I gave Roy Hunt 4 stars but concede that it is a 4-. Most readers will get the basic plot if told once or a couple of times but running over how the bacterial beast was created multiple times tends to bog down the story and tests the patience of the reader. Similarly, there was a little too much detail on the history of the lake and various environmental talking points that were expounded upon by the characters in the story that lowered the entertainment value and it became more of a textbook of ideas in part.
But overall a good read. Well done.
May 5, 2018
A Great Story
This is an interesting read with a warning about the dangers of genetic engineering. A genetically-engineered bacteria created for bioremediation evolves into a deadly creature. It manages to escape and get into a lake in Ireland where it is killing people.
This is a great story, but it does bog down at times due to repetition, as when we are told how the bacterial creature was created several times. Similarly, too much detail on various environmental talking points made the novel feel like a textbook at times.
Regardless, this was an entertaining read, and the book presents an interesting premise that could happen in real life. This would easily be a 5-star with a bit more editing.
This is an interesting read with a warning about the dangers of genetic engineering. A genetically-engineered bacteria created for bioremediation evolves into a deadly creature. It manages to escape and get into a lake in Ireland where it is killing people.
This is a great story, but it does bog down at times due to repetition, as when we are told how the bacterial creature was created several times. Similarly, too much detail on various environmental talking points made the novel feel like a textbook at times.
Regardless, this was an entertaining read, and the book presents an interesting premise that could happen in real life. This would easily be a 5-star with a bit more editing.
August 3, 2018
Just when you thought it was going to be just another ordinary day on the job? Working another contract? Nope not this contract. Mark is a crane operator working contracts for a company. When mark accepts a contract lifting a aerator for a local waste plant, mark finds out there is something more going on here. Roy Hunt really knows how to tell a story, but the beginning can be a bit confusing.
Mark starts a normal day just like any other, but when an electrical storm turns his operation into a bright flash, he realizes his life is about to get even more complicated.
Mutation is a stable, moving story that is not for all hearts.
September 25, 2018
(recived a review copy from Netgallery)
This was a pretty interesting story about killer bacteria that starts hunting people. The monster was pretty interesting and the science behind it was pretty solid. I didn't care much for the human characters mind you and as such didn't really care if they lived or died. Not sure if it was just the kindle version but the formatting was all over the place.
That said I still enjoyed the story and was invested enough to keep reading to find out what was going to happen and how they were going to defeat the creature.
This was a pretty interesting story about killer bacteria that starts hunting people. The monster was pretty interesting and the science behind it was pretty solid. I didn't care much for the human characters mind you and as such didn't really care if they lived or died. Not sure if it was just the kindle version but the formatting was all over the place.
That said I still enjoyed the story and was invested enough to keep reading to find out what was going to happen and how they were going to defeat the creature.
October 4, 2018
Thrilling book about the way bacteria affects our lives,especially,those unaware.This story takes place in Ireland & is not based on actual events.
An unscrupulous,business man steals something from.his large employer not realsing the devastating consequences.
A crane operater,his wife and another couple get in pretty deep,while trying to he!p.
They're are multiple deaths & other happenings,which do make a thrilling read but just a little too technical for me
My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for allowing me to Read "Mutation" and give my honest opinion
,,,
An unscrupulous,business man steals something from.his large employer not realsing the devastating consequences.
A crane operater,his wife and another couple get in pretty deep,while trying to he!p.
They're are multiple deaths & other happenings,which do make a thrilling read but just a little too technical for me
My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for allowing me to Read "Mutation" and give my honest opinion
,,,
August 9, 2018
Bacteria are a good thing. :o)
Things get itchy on Lough Ree. Horrendous filthy deaths and monsters are happening on the irish midlands. A bad mutation is going to turn on tourists and the locals and cran operator Marl Coles is facing one nightmare after another.
Incredible what you can get for a price tag of .99 Cents. You actually will get a good time. A shame its not available as paperback.
Things get itchy on Lough Ree. Horrendous filthy deaths and monsters are happening on the irish midlands. A bad mutation is going to turn on tourists and the locals and cran operator Marl Coles is facing one nightmare after another.
Incredible what you can get for a price tag of .99 Cents. You actually will get a good time. A shame its not available as paperback.
August 10, 2018
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I thought this was a well-written book. With bacteria numbering among our everyday monsters, we probably should think twice about manipulating or changing them. At our peril! This book has good characterization and is plot-driven. Encompassing horror!
I thought this was a well-written book. With bacteria numbering among our everyday monsters, we probably should think twice about manipulating or changing them. At our peril! This book has good characterization and is plot-driven. Encompassing horror!
October 26, 2019
Not to be ignored
Couldn't put it down. Knowing our fate doesn't help me sleep. This is a page turner. Hunt made his book entertaining. However, read and follow his notes at least you'll be aware. Can't stop it. Maybe knowing is not the best Aid for insomnia. It's now 4:30am. Still sleep won't come. Remembering my 2 battles with cancer. Could it be?
Couldn't put it down. Knowing our fate doesn't help me sleep. This is a page turner. Hunt made his book entertaining. However, read and follow his notes at least you'll be aware. Can't stop it. Maybe knowing is not the best Aid for insomnia. It's now 4:30am. Still sleep won't come. Remembering my 2 battles with cancer. Could it be?
January 3, 2024
Good solid book. Well researched. a bit of a page turner. Would like to read the second book.
August 25, 2016
An absorbing thriller. Very interesting and well researched science behind the plot, which made it seem very plausible. The characters were easy to engage with and the story unfolded at great pace from the outset. A gripping read, thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it to others.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews