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(More customer reviews)It is the near future, and there have been amazing advances in genetics research. Through gene therapy, many diseases have been cured. The SimGen Corporation has now created a transgenic species called sims, part chimpanzee and part human, that are used as slave labor. Suddenly a group of sims working as caddies at a golf club want to unionize. They hire lawyer Patrick Sullivan to represent them, and he begins to ponder whether sims are entitled to human rights. He soon meets activist Romy Cadman and a mysterious masked man, simply called Zero, who are on a crusade to destroy SimGen and stop the creation of sims. While the three of them try to protect the sims, they come close to uncovering a sinister secret in SimGen, and the company will stop at nothing to deter them.
The reader is treated to a fascinating peek into a possible future for genetics research. This hypothetical forecast is not so far-fetched, however scary and unethical it might be. Transgenic animals, in which human genetic material is inserted into animal DNA, are already being created today for the benefit of humanity. Transgenic cows have been developed, and they have human proteins in their milk, such as insulin, that can be used by the pharmaceutical industry to treat human disease. Pigs with human DNA are being developed with the goal of future use in organ transplants. This novel carries genetic experimentation forward to a next logical step: transgenic primates. Where would such creatures stand in society? Would they be considered people or animals?
"Sims" was originally written as a series of novellas, but the story holds together seamlessly as a novel. Although very different from F. Paul Wilson's Repairman Jack novels, it is an excellent science thriller. At times the story line is a bit formulaic, a la Robin Cook, with an evil corporation twisting medical procedures for its own unspeakable ends and ruthlessly destroying those who stand in its path. But it touches on a fascinating subject, is fast-paced, and is full of edge-of-your-seat suspense. The ending has a surprising twist. I recommend this book not only as a riveting read but also as food for thought on the ethics of genetic manipulation.
Eileen Rieback
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