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Book Summary InformationAuthor: Kevin Bohacz Edition: Paperback Audio: English (Unknown); English (Published) Published: 2007-03-01 ISBN: 0979181518 Number of pages: 516 Publisher: CPrompt
Book Reviews of ImmortalityBook Review: An apocalyptic story that evolves Summary: 5 Stars
Deep in the Amazon, within specifically precise boundaries, humans drop dead within seconds, leaving behind animals and plant life. The areas are circular, and become known as "kill zones". Little notice is taken until a kill zone strikes in Anchorage Alaska ... American soil.
Dr. Kathy Morrison, a CDC doctor in their BVMC (Bacterial and Viral Maximum Containment) lab is assigned to study the kill zones. Are they chemical or biological? What she does find is large amounts of Chromatium Omri, a benign water bacterium, in eighty percent of the Anchorage victims. She needs an expert on the bacterium.
Dr. Mark Freedman, a bimolecular biologist, has been studying ancient layers of Chromatium Omri BIC 3.7 in fossilized form from the Cretaceous period. He's nicknamed the bacterium COBIC 3.7. Mark leaves behind his girlfriend Gracy, his ex-wife and daughter, to fly from Los Angeles to Atlanta to join Dr. Morrison's search for the cause of the kill zones. When Mark discovers a tiny "seed" embedded inside the COBIC, it's a race for time to discover if the seed is natural or foreign, and whether it's related to the kill zones. What they find is going to surprise you, over and over again.
Other major characters are Sarah Mayfair, a police officer in New Jersey and her hundred and twenty pound Rottweiler Ralph. Sarah finds herself a fugitive after surviving a kill zone, and must find her way back into society. Artie Hartman and his pregnant wife Suzy live in New York. Artie is a lawyer, working as an assistant DA and running from his past as a former gang member. General McKafferty, an ugly, determined man, leads the military research faction called BARDCOM ... but is BARDCOM working with the CDC or against them?
Mark and Kathy are in a race against time and a deadly foe, one that cannot be predicted or controlled. The fate of the world relies upon them breaking the code of the COBIC bacterium.
As an aficionado of Apocalypse books, 'Immortality' is a great addition to my collection. While marketed as a techno-thriller, it manages to fulfill both genres quiet nicely. Kevin Bohacz has done his homework. The descriptions are detailed, the dialogue is natural and flowing, and the plot has the distinctive feel of "real time". The characters are fully fleshed and naturally believable, you'll feel as though you know them personally as you travel with them through loss and triumph. The flow from one character's POV to the next is smooth and fits the flow of the storyline. Bohacz's coverage of possibilities, such as military mishandling, gang behavior, societal classes, changing politics, fear, herding and hoarding, and religious zealotry all smack of realism. 'Immortality' is a journey you don't want to miss.
On the downside, there are some typing errors, spelling and punctuation, probably due to a small press company, but don't let those distract you from a great story. The novel is not necessarily fast-paced due to the detailing, but I still found myself unable to put it down, and thinking about it while not reading. 'Immortality' is an overlooked gem in the apocalypse genre. I highly recommend this book. Enjoy!
Summary of Immortality"Speaking as an evolved Transhuman, I applaud this very entertaining, intelligent, and thought provoking journey to the edges of humanity." Danny Rubin, author and screenwriter of Groundhog Day. "Immortality is a fine, tense, scientific mystery adventure that puts mankind in a challenge of survival with a short time limit. This is the way the world could end." Piers Anthony, author of 21 New York Times best-selling novels. Immortality has been a bestselling techno-thriller on the Amazon Kindle since January 2008! Sci-Fi Reader - 4Stars - "This book manages to do what all the best sci-fi does - provide a thought-provoking, alternative viewpoint on the business of existence. I recommend you give it a go." - sfreader.com Kirkus - There is enough power in the premise to leave readers reeling. A novel that will surprise fans of science-fiction and doomsday scenarios... An eschatological techno-thriller that explores human evolution, technology and the threat of global environmental collapse. An illicit bulldozer operator begins hearing terrible noises from the depths of the Brazilian rainforest. It's too late for the operator and something terrible is in the air. Birds begin to fall from the sky, and before he find shelter, he slides into a deadly paralysis. Traversing the globe, the narrative picks up ten months later in a Wyoming mountain range. Nobel laureate Mark Freedman is leading an expedition to study bacteria with a group of graduate students. Unaware of the incident in Brazil, or the other "kill zones" manifesting around the world, his knowledge of a particular bacterial strain will become indispensable in the following months as humanity struggles to survive. In Atlanta, Dr. Kathy Morrison humbly prepares for a blind date, but in a few weeks she will be looking for the causes behind another demi-apocalypse - this time on American soil. What follows isn't simply a rehashed viral saga in a level-four biohazard suit. It's a story about genetic revelation, environmental destiny and humanity's ecological responsibility. The science of the novel feels just on the side of authentic, and the expertly rendered sterilization procedures that Morrison must endure are as creepy and cool as anything on film or in print. But the novel's quasi-metaphysical implications make it more technically fantastic than hardcore science fiction. Bohacz takes great care establishing each character with personal details that serve the narrative well. Additionally, the science and science fiction are fascinating. There is enough power in the premise to leave readers reeling. A novel that will surprise fans of science-fiction and doomsday scenarios. - Kirkus Discoveries Dust cover: Without warning, something has gone terribly awry. In the remote and unnoticed places of the world, small pockets of death begin occurring. As the initially isolated extinctions spread, the world's eyes focus on this unimaginable horror and chaos. Out of the ecological imbalance, something new and extraordinary is evolving and surviving to fill the voids left by these extinctions. Evolution is operating in ways no one could have expected and environmental damage may be the catalyst. Once discovered, this knowledge changes everything. The story begun in Immortality is not over. A sequel is coming soon...
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