Synopses & Reviews
Plague, civil war, and uncontrolled experiments in genetic engineering have caused widespread chaos and devastation throughout Africa. Nicholas Hyde is part of a team of forensic pathologists investigating a massacre in the swamp forest of the northern Congo when an armed band of ferocious ape-like creatures attack. Nick survives, but finds that he's at the center of a massive cover-up.
For although the "white devils" that killed Nick's friends were almost certainly the result of illegal genetic manipulation, Obligate, the environmentally conscious transnational now controlling this part of the Congo, denies that they exist, and ruthlessly suppresses all evidence to the contrary. Although he has secrets of his own to conceal, Nick becomes determined to uncover the origin of the mysterious creatures -- and why certain individuals are prepared to resort to murder to bury the truth.
But even the atrocities he has already witnessed cannot prepare him for the terrifying secrets he uncovers on his journey into the wrecked heart of Africa, and the birthplace of the white devils.
Review
"White Devils is a breathtakingly plausible thriller, as fast-paced as, say, a Michael Crichton . . . but a helluva lot scarier." San Diego Union Tribune
Review
"Stunning proof that McAuley now leads the world in science thrillers. Not just a gripping, insightful novel, but a genuinely important book. Jaw-droppingly good." Michael Marshall
Review
"White Devils is a breathtakingly plausible thriller, as fast-paced as, say, a Michael Crichton . . . but a helluva lot scarier."
--San Diego Union Tribune on White Devils
"...everything a thriller should be - intellectually adventurous, compulsively readable, and a little chilling in its view of a world just around the corner from our own."
--Lucius Shepard on White Devils
"Stunning proof that McAuley now leads the world in science thrillers. Not just a gripping, insightful novel, but a genuinely important book.
Jaw-droppingly good."
--Michael Marshall on White Devils
"McAuley is one of our best."
--Locus
"One of our most versatile and talented SF writers."
--Publishers Weekly
"His prose is muscular, his dialogue crackling, his characters needy and vivid, and the plot races along."
--The Washington Post on Whole Wide World
"The author demonstrates his talent for creating an sf conspiracy thriller set in a near-future that is both disturbing and plausible."
--Library Journal on Whole Wide World
"A gripping conspiracy thriller."
--Starlog on Whole Wide World
"A clear success, with a sympathetic but reticent narrator, a masterful recapturing of classic hardboiled tonalities, and a setting that is chilling in its matter-of-fact acceptance of the loss of 20key freedoms."
--Locus on Whole Wide World
"McAuley thumps the pulpit for science and reason but always leaves room for the shrewd, passionate, ultimately hopeful human race in this vital contribution to SF."
--Booklist on The Secret of Life
"The Secret of Life is a laser-sharp biothriller. McAuley gives us an exhilarating, terrifying ride through tomorrow's zeitgeist."
--Stephen Baxter
Review
"...everything a thriller should be - intellectually adventurous, compulsively readable, and a little chilling in its view of a world just around the corner from our own." Lucius Shepard
Synopsis
A thriller about the consequences of uncontrolled genetic engineering.
Synopsis
Plague, civil war, and uncontrolled experiments in genetic engineering have caused widespread chaos and devastation throughout Africa. Nicholas Hyde is part of a team of forensic pathologists investigating a massacre in the swamp forest of the northern Congo when an armed band of ferocious ape-like creatures attack. Nick survives, but finds that he's at the center of a massive cover-up.
For although the "white devils" that killed Nick's friends were almost certainly the result of illegal genetic manipulation, Obligate, the environmentally conscious transnational now controlling this part of the Congo, denies that they exist, and ruthlessly suppresses all evidence to the contrary. Although he has secrets of his own to conceal, Nick becomes determined to uncover the origin of the mysterious creatures -- and why certain individuals are prepared to resort to murder to bury the truth.
But even the atrocities he has already witnessed cannot prepare him for the terrifying secrets he uncovers on his journey into the wrecked heart of Africa, and the birthplace of the white devils.
About the Author
Paul McAuley is the author of numerous science fiction novels, including
Whole Wide World,
The Secret of Life, and the acclaimed Confluence Trilogy. He has a Ph.D. in botany and has worked as a researcher in biology at various universities, including Oxford and UCLA. He lives in London.