The Perfect Generation

by C.P. James

I didn’t set out to kill the world. I was trying to save it.

I knew the Cure would win the $1 billion Merriweather Prize. There had never been anything like it. The medical community could never have imagined a treatment so bold. So complete. When my kid sister died, I set out to end genetic disorders once and for all. And I did. The children of the Cure were called the Perfect Generation, and for a long time, they were.

It was I who was imperfect. It didn’t matter that my motives were pure. It only mattered that I didn’t foresee what came next. The price of my ambition. The flaw that would doom millions. Nature, it seemed, had a sick sense of irony.

Not until Heidi showed up did I understand what had gone wrong. How my choices had led to this darkest of moments. She was the key that unlocked my understanding. I can’t change what happened to America, but I might be able to change what comes next. To put the future in better hands. And to finally reveal the truth about the Cure.

Pick up The Perfect Generation today and learn why C.P. James is an author to watch.

386 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 14, 2020

About the author

I write cinematic sci-fi of substance. What does that mean?

My love of writing came from reading, of course, but my love of story really came from movies. Expect smart characters and short chapters that move along at a cinematic pace. I like intricate, plausible stories that reward careful readers without alienating those who just want to kick back and escape this messed-up world for a while.

I currently have two series: Reassembly, a humorous space opera with six books, and a dystopian trilogy, The Cytocorp Saga. I expect to release the first book in a new sci-fi series sometime in mid 2026.

I currently live in Ecuador.

When I'm not writing page-devouring science fiction, you can find me thinking about it.

For more about me and my fiction, visit cpjames.com or email directly at cp@cpjames.com.

Like the C.P. James Facebook page at facebook.com/authorcpjames.

Reviews

[Fabi NEEDS Email Notifications · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every parent's nightmare. A child born with an illness that will cut their young lives short. What if it was the parent's good intentions that caused it? It's a horror story presented as science fiction. It would have been more aptly titled "The Lost Generation".

The premise is brilliant. However, the development of the plot left me wanting something else altogether. Characters came and went before I was able to emotionally bond with them.

Parent's reactions, which should have been portrayed as emotionally devastating, went mostly overlooked. The nation's reaction to these poor children was impossible for me to believe. It was basically the opposite of what any parent would do with a child in danger of losing their life at a young age.

The entire book was mostly "telling" us of the devastation. I was unable to form an emotional connection to any character, not even the MC.

It's unfortunate because this could have been an emotional storm of a book. Instead, the analytical, far away look at events made it bland. The only emotional standouts were the horrific death scenes.

I'm giving it 3 stars because the concept was brilliant and I liked the story. I only wish it had developed differently.

[Steven jb · Rating 3 out of 5]

The idea was excellent, the story very good, but the writing had too much telling, and insufficient showing. The descriptions of science was weak in understanding how science works, how scientists think, and the pseudo-scientific explanations, although perhaps a non-scientist would not recognize this. Nevertheless, this was a very good read, and enjoyable despite its flaws.

[Sean Flanagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

In "The Perfect Generation", C.P. James has crafted a mystery wrapped in and around an incongruity, presented as a historical recounting. He presents impossible scientific projects, procedures, and outcomes in such a plausible way that it is not necessary to suspend disbelief; the yarn never suffers from "bad science". (Actually, James is very careful to never sink to using make-believe or fictional scientific methods, procedures, or outcomes. Well, spontaneously-disolving human bodies is a pothole, but… )

I admit I did stumble over some errors that call for better proofreading and/or copyediting, yet they were niggling and did not diminish my enjoyment of the yarn.

[Christine Cazeneuve · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book by this author that I have read and he has yet to disappoint this reader! What a great concept, a "cure" that is given to pregnant mothers to prevent a vast number of diseases and genetic disorders in their offspring. Who wouldn't want that. However, things go terribly wrong and what is the fallout from this. The story is told by mainly two points of views but does share others - it is wonderfully done and you will find yourself thinking about "what if this was me".

I will definitely be reading more from this author and I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a great story - not just for sci-fi buffs!

[Everydayreader1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not my usual read, but I found THE PERFECT GENERATION fascinating. It caused me to give some deeper thought to the idea that man kind continually seems to test the boundaries of what is God intended and what isn't. Science is a wonderful thing, but this book illustrates what can happen when science goes too far.

[Emma K Curtis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting

Enjoyed immensely given I love stories about future possibilities that seem sci-fi now but could happen. Cell phones and zoom were sci-fi to my generation so who knows what the future holds! Fun read overall.

[Sean Randall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poignant and powerful, this is a very interesting story of medical intervention, unintended consequences and an almost too vivid portrayal of living life to the fullest.