October 24, 2011

The Experiment by John Darnton

Title:  The Experiment
Author:  John Darnton
Format:  HC
Pages:  421
Genre:  Science Fiction
Publisher:  Dutton, 1999
ISBN-13:  978-0525945178
Series:  Stand Alone

Favorite Quote:  Nature and Nature's laws lay hid in night:  Bacon said, "Let Newton be!" and all was light.

Synopsis (PBS):  A world we can't imagine may lie just around the corner . . . — With the brilliant combination of cutting-edge science and nerve-jangling suspense that made his first novel, Neanderthal, a major bestseller, John Darnton returns with The Experiment.On a remote island off the Southeastern coast, a young man named Skyler sees his friends vanish one by one. In a small New York town, a journalist observes a corpse with its fingerprints burned off. In New York City, an expert on twins stumbles upon a case that hits stunningly close to home for her. Soon, all three come together on the trail of a scientific experiment more audacious than they could have conceived--and so secret that none of them may be allowed to survive.

Review:  This was a thriller and a darn good science fiction novel.  All the objections to human cloning come true in this fast-paced story.  A group of children and young adults, all clones of the wealthy and powerful, being held on an island for organ harvesting in hopes of prolonging the 'prototypes' lives far past the norm. 

There are shots given to keep these same people youthful.  Of course, the entire experiment is a failure because the supposed cure for aging turns against the Lab and begins aging them even more quickly. 

The main characters are believable.  I did not see the surprise at the end coming and that's always a good thing.  Really a great read.

Rating:  8.5 / 10

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