Rating: 
Summary: Almost, but not quite
Review: This book came well recommended and I really wanted to enjoy it. Unfortunately, Bear only realized about 75% of what he could have with this book. The idea of an evolutionary virus was fantastic, and Bear started out strong with the social impact of SHEVA. But toward the end, I thought he got kind of lazy. I wanted a really strong, revolutionary conclusion, but it just seemed to peter out. I lost my sympathy toward the main characters toward the end. It was a good book, but I wish I'd waited for the paperback.
Rating: 
Summary: I really liked it; exactly what a good sci-fi should do!
Review: My criteria for a good sci-fi book is a piece that exposes me to a totally different concept or idea. Something that is not exactly about the beginning or the end, or a good character creation. I want to be chalenged, surprised, and learn new things.Darwin's Radio does just that. I came away saying, "this was really cool...". Thank you, Greg Bear.
Rating: 
Summary: Darwin's Radio
Review: I bought this book because I heard a fascinating discussion of its thesis on NPR. I'm also an avid, and very particular, reader of speculative fiction. I was disappointed. The science, while prodigious, was muddled; the plot was scattershot and badly developed; the characters were introduced intriguingly, then thinned to the level of parchment. The ending seemed as though it had been rushed by a publishing house ravenous for a quick, best-seller buck. I think its only value is to provoke interesting discussions on literate talk shows. How disappointed was I? Enough to write a review for Amazon.com, which I've never considered doing, before this. Don't buy this book. If you're curious, borrow it from the library.
Rating: 
Summary: Great read.
Review: I loved this book. Greg Bear has never let me down. I thought this book was excellent. While I don't know how realistic the idea of a Retrovirus like SHEVA is the idea is inventive and the implications are awesome. Love the fact that one of the locals mentioned in the book is only 20 minutes from my house. My only gripe was I wanted the book to tell more about what happened. We can only hope there will be a second installment!
Rating:
Summary: Too Many Plot Lines
Review: This book failed to arouse my continuing interest because it had too many separate plot lines that, in their own time, did not come together. First, there is Kaye, a forensic biologist in Georgia (of the former Soviet Union), then there is an entire group of politicial doctors in Center for Disease Control in Georgia (USA) and finally a de-frocked Ph. D. looking for old bodies. As you begin to identify names with each individual's position in the scheme of things, the author kills off (with a supposed suicide) Saul, the husband of Kaye. Why develop the husband at all? Then he's gone and I had enough. Further, the author fails to give clarity to the virsus, retrovirsus and SHEVA (is this Herod's Flu?) and it all made think of What is the correct plural of 'virsus'? And it was just too much for a littlle book. I did not care for this twisted plot.
Rating:
Summary: Smart, well researched, recommended.
Review: Excellent, GB has really done his homework and takes the subjects of emerging disease and evolution very professionally. He takes on some of the most inspiring subjects in molecular biology today, "Junk DNA", bacteriophage therapy, biofilm structures, chemical cooperation between and within species, ethics, and a whole lot more, and makes, to coin a phrase, a "right rollicking read". Recommended to all, strongly.
Rating:
Summary: More Great Bear
Review: I think I used the above words when I finished Moving Mars; they about sum it up. I thought Darwins Radio was a little slower paced than some of Bear's other offerings, perhaps necessarily so to provide the biological foundation, but as usual the last 200 pages just rocketed by. I find it amazing that Bear is comfortable working with the physical sciences (Moving Mars), nano-tech/computer tech (Queen of Angels/Slant), and in this case, the biological sciences. Yet in all genres, devise exciting and credible plots and develop characters that we care about. The ending was perfect--not a cliffhanger screaming necessary sequal, but something that can stand alone or be continued--I vote the latter. I really like the new variety of human and want to read more about them. I think this is the primary reason I'm taking the time to write these comments. How about "SHEVAs Children" for next year...
Rating:
Summary: Great concept, klunky plot, boring cardboard characters
Review: Bear's writing is on the level of your medium-rent spy novelist, with gobs of science research. His characters' thinking is transparent, and they're not really called upon to act in any way more complicated than 50-50 decisions. The mix of movie star emotion and science thought was a little dry for my palate. His plot devices border on annoying; where challenges or obstacles crop up, a powerful side character intervenes to remove them a few pages later -- or sometimes difficult characters are just killed off for brevity. The science is rather fascinating, however. He leads you along on a fun ride through the genome and around the frailty of human dominance. The unfortunate result being that the interesting stuff is punctuated with two-bit dialogue and blatantly hackneyed references to modern life. Good on an airplane or on the back of the john.
Rating: 
Summary: Starts off like a rocket. Finishes like a cannonball.
Review: Darwin's Radio is the great sci-fi/techno-thriller you always wanted to read -- up to about 2/3 into the book. The at first seemingly complex story is actually a well-tied together tight ball of story lines. Especially if you've kept up on virus-related science and fiction, this is no stretch of the imagination, rather an original innovation. And, where other fiction fails, namely believability of characters and their thoughts and actions, this book succeeds. However, sometimes great writers don't know when to stop -- as in, just end the book with a punch! It occurs to me now that, like Ender's Game, Darwin's Radio could have been two very good, but very different kinds of books. It's too late for that now, but you may want to consider that in your aproach to reading it -- avoid the dissapointment by lowering expectations a few notches.
Rating:
Summary: a short story in book length
Review: It seems that Amazon rankings work like this: fiction - mostly people that like the book; non-fiction - mostly people that didn't like the book; music - people calling each other names. So to buck the trend - here are my two stars. I really like Greg Bear, especially his "Blood Music". This book, however, has a clever premise and some decent hard science to it, but on the whole is just plain boring. It may have made a nice short story or novella, but it doesn't work at novel length. The initial find of the iceman is too bizarrely coincidental with the rest of the story. And, anyway, wasn't this same ground better covered by Arthur C. Clarke's 2001? Bear is one of the few authors I will risk a sight-unseen hardback purchase. After this disappointment, I may have to remove him from that category. That's evolution for you!
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