Creator

Science has always attracted people with wonderfully modest ambitions. Cure disease. Unlock the secrets of the universe. Defeat death itself. In Creator , Jeremy Leven takes that final objective, adds a generous helping of romance, eccentric academics, questionable ethics and razor-sharp wit, and produces a novel that gleefully asks whether just because something is scientifically possible, it necessarily follows that someone should be allowed anywhere near the laboratory. At the centre of the story is Professor Harry Wolper, a Nobel Prize-winning biologist whose brilliant mind is matched only by his refusal to accept life?s most inconvenient limitation. Driven by love, grief and a healthy disregard for conventional boundaries, he embarks upon an audacious plan that blurs the line between genius and madness. Around him swirls a cast of colourful characters, academic rivalries, bureaucratic obstacles and enough philosophical debate to make a university ethics committee spontaneously combust. Leven manages an impressive balancing act, combining genuine scientific speculation with laugh-out-loud humour and heartfelt emotion. One chapter has you pondering the deepest mysteries of existence, the next has you chuckling at the absurdities of academia, where departments often seem to devote more energy to politics than to actual discovery. It is proof that laboratories, much like families, function best when everyone isn?t secretly plotting against one another. Written before cloning and genetic engineering became everyday newspaper headlines, Creator feels remarkably prescient. It explores questions that have only become more relevant with time: What makes us human? Can science outrun morality? And why does every fictional scientist seem to believe that "because I can" is a perfectly satisfactory research proposal? The irony, of course, is that the greatest discoveries are often accompanied by the greatest unintended consequences. Fans of Michael Crichton, Kurt Vonnegut or the more satirical side of speculative fiction will find plenty to enjoy here. While there are moments of genuine tenderness, the novel never loses its mischievous sense of humour, delighting in exposing both the brilliance and ridiculousness of human ambition. It is science fiction for readers who enjoy thinking as much as laughing. This 1981 Penguin Books edition is in Good condition. It has clearly been read and appreciated, yet remains a solid, entirely enjoyable copy with plenty of life left in it. Rather fitting, really, for a novel so preoccupied with extending life beyond its expected limits. Ideal for readers who enjoy intelligent speculative fiction, quirky literary satire and stories where the biggest explosions occur inside people?s consciences rather than in the laboratory. Add it to your shelves today and discover a novel that asks enormous questions with a smile, proving that the road to playing God is paved not only with good intentions but also with exceptionally complicated paperwork. As always from Crappy Old Books ?where the experiments are confined to the pages, and the only thing we?re attempting to resurrect is your neglected reading list.…