To Kill an Eidolon

Rating:
Summary: Terrific reading!
Review: Speculation Press is a new publisher specializing in what they call "cross-genre books, combining elements of science fiction and fantasy with romance, thrillers, crime fiction, and political satire." Geared towards science fiction readers who have grown tired of repetitive plots, Speculation Press offers a brand new look at an already intriguing genre.

The word eidolon has a number of definitions, ranging from a dripping mass to an image of an ideal. But in Susan Danville's brand new post-doctorate position in her native Chicago, the eidolons are parasites who feed off of sick humans. The scientists Susan is to work with have branded together, calling themselves "Insiders" to telepathically destroy as many eidolons as possible.

The scientists believe that eidolons are hatched when females who carry the correct genetic code to hatch them get pregnant. Susan Danville possesses two of the necessary genes, and perhaps the third. She can either join their ranks and fight the eidolons, or if she gets pregnant, she will be killed as one of the enemy. The trouble is, Susan has an overpowering urge to get pregnant, and she has at least one willing suitor, Joe, who would be willing to oblige. Then there is David, an insider himself, who is fighting to save Susan's life:

"David ran his hand through his hair again. 'All right. Well. To begin with, people need at least one of the two Sight genes to be able to see eidolons. These Sight genes are designated Mer1 and Mer2. All cats have the Mer1 gene, by the way, which is kinda neat. But that's not important just now. Getting back to humans, it is theorized that there is a third Mer gene which is very, very rare. It is thought to be on the female sex chromosome. If a woman has this gene as well as the other two Mer genes, then she can incubate a new breed of eidolons along with the fetus."

W.F. Halsey has no trouble maintaining reader interest, as she pits character against character, humans against eidolons, and mixes the brew with some good old fashioned family secrets and tragedies in this "race against time" story. No less than the future of mankind is at stake, and the reader turns pages in a frenzy to keep up with the action.

Shelly Glodowski, Reviewer

Rating:
Summary: Terrific reading!
Review: Speculation Press is a new publisher specializing in what they call "cross-genre books, combining elements of science fiction and fantasy with romance, thrillers, crime fiction, and political satire." Geared towards science fiction readers who have grown tired of repetitive plots, Speculation Press offers a brand new look at an already intriguing genre.

The word eidolon has a number of definitions, ranging from a dripping mass to an image of an ideal. But in Susan Danville's brand new post-doctorate position in her native Chicago, the eidolons are parasites who feed off of sick humans. The scientists Susan is to work with have branded together, calling themselves "Insiders" to telepathically destroy as many eidolons as possible.

The scientists believe that eidolons are hatched when females who carry the correct genetic code to hatch them get pregnant. Susan Danville possesses two of the necessary genes, and perhaps the third. She can either join their ranks and fight the eidolons, or if she gets pregnant, she will be killed as one of the enemy. The trouble is, Susan has an overpowering urge to get pregnant, and she has at least one willing suitor, Joe, who would be willing to oblige. Then there is David, an insider himself, who is fighting to save Susan's life:

"David ran his hand through his hair again. `All right. Well. To begin with, people need at least one of the two Sight genes to be able to see eidolons. These Sight genes are designated Mer1 and Mer2. All cats have the Mer1 gene, by the way, which is kinda neat. But that's not important just now. Getting back to humans, it is theorized that there is a third Mer gene which is very, very rare. It is thought to be on the female sex chromosome. If a woman has this gene as well as the other two Mer genes, then she can incubate a new breed of eidolons along with the fetus."

W.F. Halsey has no trouble maintaining reader interest, as she pits character against character, humans against eidolons, and mixes the brew with some good old fashioned family secrets and tragedies in this "race against time" story. No less than the future of mankind is at stake, and the reader turns pages in a frenzy to keep up with the action.

Shelly Glodowski, Reviewer

Rating:
Summary: Excellent speculative fiction
Review: Susan Danville accepts a biomedical research position at a Chicago-based university. At the facility, Susan will conduct post-doctoral research under the auspices of Nobel Prize winner Dr. Jim Mallard. Even as she relishes the possibilities of her new assignment, Susan worries over the vein of insanity that runs throughout her family. Her father resides in a mental institution after shooting at invisible creatures he calls Eidolons.

Unbeknownst to Susan is the fact that Eidolons exist and these energy beings are the major causes of deadly diseases. Mallard is one of the leading fighters trying to destroy the enemy. Susan has been brought here so that Mallard and his staff can watch her as she has the Mer genes that could cause problems if she becomes pregnant. However, neither Mallard nor his cohorts realize that a powerful Eidolon is heading towards Chicago with Susan being the ultimate target of the deadly creature.

TO KILL AN EIDOLON is an intriguing medical thriller that provides a weird perspective on deadly diseases like AIDS. The story line is entertaining, but requires acceptance of the Eidolons since no basis is developed for their existence. Still, this is a unique, very enjoyable tale.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Excellent speculative fiction
Review: To Kill an Eidolon introduces a new type of "monster" preying on seriously ill people. Eidolons aren't spirits or fairies or illusions, even though most people can't see them. They are visible to those whose genes let them see the right part of the spectrum. And they are very deadly.

The story starts quietly and builds to a fantastic climax. The characters are all well-defined and believeable. The tension they are all under increases steadily from chapter to chapter. The characters are all stressed for different reasons, and all have individual reactions to that stress. The anguish of the character David is especially well depicted.

The ending is very exciting. I'd love to tell you about it, but it would give away too much. All I can say is that it is a wonderful verbal description of what would be a wild special effect in a movie.

This book would make a great movie, with strong characters and great effects. In the meantime, I can't wait for the sequel.

Rating:
Summary: Exciting and enthralling
Review: Why do some people shrug off a sickness, while the same illness can kill another person? In this contemporary science fiction novel, the answer is Eidolons, parasitic energy creatures tuned to various human diseases that feed off of the emanations produced by sick and dying humans. Humans with at least one of the two Mer genes can be trained to see and slaughter the Eidolons. Unfortunately, human women with a third Mer gene can give birth to new Eidolons, corresponding to mutated versions of existing diseases (like the difference between Chicken Pox and Smallpox), or human versions of non-human illnesses.

Susan Danville, the heroine of the book, knows none of this when she shows up in Chicago to start her post- doctoral research in biomedicine, relating Feline Leukemia Virus to AIDS. The university's research is a cover for a society of Eidolon hunters, including David, the postdoctoral student who insists their relationship remain purely non-physical. When Susan becomes friends with Joe, a hunk who is more than willing to provide a physical relationship, David's reaction borders on irrational jealousy. He's trying to protect Susan, since the society will kill her rather than allow her to become pregnant and create a new Eidolon. But he's sworn to secrecy, and his lame excuses only drive Susan into Joe's arms.

This exciting and enthralling story had a flawless and well-reasoned premise, complete with all of the natural correlations, without ever invalidating what we believe to be true about the world we live in. The characters were engaging and easy to care about, even the host of unpleasant society leaders. Since the reader knew what was truly at stake long before the characters, seemingly ordinary actions became filled with suspense. Yet the heart of this book was the love story, as Susan had to choose between David and Joe.
-- Reviewed for the Science Fiction Romance newsletter

Rating:
Summary: Exciting and enthralling
Review: Why do some people shrug off a sickness, while the same illness can kill another person? In this contemporary science fiction novel, the answer is Eidolons, parasitic energy creatures tuned to various human diseases that feed off of the emanations produced by sick and dying humans. Humans with at least one of the two Mer genes can be trained to see and slaughter the Eidolons. Unfortunately, human women with a third Mer gene can give birth to new Eidolons, corresponding to mutated versions of existing diseases (like the difference between Chicken Pox and Smallpox), or human versions of non-human illnesses.

Susan Danville, the heroine of the book, knows none of this when she shows up in Chicago to start her post- doctoral research in biomedicine, relating Feline Leukemia Virus to AIDS. The university's research is a cover for a society of Eidolon hunters, including David, the postdoctoral student who insists their relationship remain purely non-physical. When Susan becomes friends with Joe, a hunk who is more than willing to provide a physical relationship, David's reaction borders on irrational jealousy. He's trying to protect Susan, since the society will kill her rather than allow her to become pregnant and create a new Eidolon. But he's sworn to secrecy, and his lame excuses only drive Susan into Joe's arms.

This exciting and enthralling story had a flawless and well-reasoned premise, complete with all of the natural correlations, without ever invalidating what we believe to be true about the world we live in. The characters were engaging and easy to care about, even the host of unpleasant society leaders. Since the reader knew what was truly at stake long before the characters, seemingly ordinary actions became filled with suspense. Yet the heart of this book was the love story, as Susan had to choose between David and Joe.
-- Reviewed for the Science Fiction Romance newsletter