IMMORTALITY

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, but the novel’s free indirect discourse, usually handled thoughtfully, at times slips into the unintentionally humorous. Additionally, the science and science fiction are fascinating. In the end, it’s a bit exhausting, but there is enough power in the premise to leave readers reeling.

A novel that will surprise fans of science-fiction and doomsday scenarios.