The Genesis Quest

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating reading ...
Review: I thought the concept of this book was absolutely fascinating ... humans genetically recreated in a distant galaxy by an alien race based on a radio telescope transmission of the human genetic code ... and then to see the new humans' perspective of what life on Earth must have been like and their longing to return "home". I loved it and have read it at least 5 times.

Rating:
Summary: The Nar was a nice race.
Review: They were a kind and gentle alien race. They were also very smart. So when they detected human radio messages, full of mankind's knowledge and culture, they learned quickly. In fact, they were able to re-create humans from the DNA data transmitted from Earth.
And they treated humans well. They lived along side humans and wanted to do what was best for them. The problem is that they don't really understand what humans wanted. But the people knew what THEY wanted and some are willing to do anything to get it.
Even kill for it.
Bram, a human bioenginer is trapped between what he knows is right and what he knows may happen.
What will happen? Will mankind turn on the Nar, killing the very race that made them? Or is mankind mature enough to follow their dreams, reach for the stars AND not the knife? Can Bram solve the problems or will he be washed along with the rest of the mob by mad leaders, turning again the Nars?
Great first-part of a two-part series. Great alien race, interesting setting, realistic characters and sometimes very touching (if not also sometimes tragic).

Rating:
Summary: The Nar was a nice race.
Review: They were a kind and gentle alien race. They were also very smart. So when they detected human radio messages, full of mankind's knowledge and culture, they learned quickly. In fact, they were able to re-create humans from the DNA data transmitted from Earth.
And they treated humans well. They lived along side humans and wanted to do what was best for them. The problem is that they don't really understand what humans wanted. But the people knew what THEY wanted and some are willing to do anything to get it.
Even kill for it.
Bram, a human bioenginer is trapped between what he knows is right and what he knows may happen.
What will happen? Will mankind turn on the Nar, killing the very race that made them? Or is mankind mature enough to follow their dreams, reach for the stars AND not the knife? Can Bram solve the problems or will he be washed along with the rest of the mob by mad leaders, turning again the Nars?
Great first-part of a two-part series. Great alien race, interesting setting, realistic characters and sometimes very touching (if not also sometimes tragic).

Rating:
Summary: There's no quest in Genesis Quest
Review: This book is an example of one of the classic ways science fiction can go wrong. Moffitt has come up with a simply splendid premise, but then he didn't trust the fascinating concept to involve readers without help. Instead, the plot degenerates into endless, repetitious bickering between factions of characters, so that the original concept is never developed and the book reads more like a tedious, petty soap opera than a novel. Despite the title, the characters never actually do go on the quest that is discussed endlessly throughout the book. Apparently you have to buy the sequel to read what the cover copy leads you to think you would get in Genesis Quest, but by the time I had slogged through this book I was so bored and annoyed that I never bothered.

Rating:
Summary: There's no quest in Genesis Quest
Review: This book is an example of one of the classic ways science fiction can go wrong. Moffitt has come up with a simply splendid premise, but then he didn't trust the fascinating concept to involve readers without help. Instead, the plot degenerates into endless, repetitious bickering between factions of characters, so that the original concept is never developed and the book reads more like a tedious, petty soap opera than a novel. Despite the title, the characters never actually do go on the quest that is discussed endlessly throughout the book. Apparently you have to buy the sequel to read what the cover copy leads you to think you would get in Genesis Quest, but by the time I had slogged through this book I was so bored and annoyed that I never bothered.

Rating:
Summary: Pretty good book.
Review: Though it wasn't a real page turner til the last quarter or so, I really liked the book. The concept is fresh, the characters believable. Most of the action is planet-based, dealing with the relationships and politics of different beings and their striving to understand each other.
I don't really want to make this comparison since I hated the movie - but I saw many similarities to the end of A.I. where the aliens/robot descendants have to rely entirely upon the memory of HJO to build an understanding of the long since dead human culture.
I'm off to start the sequel, Second Genesis, now.

Rating:
Summary: Pretty good book.
Review: Though it wasn't a real page turner til the last quarter or so, I really liked the book. The concept is fresh, the characters believable. Most of the action is planet-based, dealing with the relationships and politics of different beings and their striving to understand each other.
I don't really want to make this comparison since I hated the movie - but I saw many similarities to the end of A.I. where the aliens/robot descendants have to rely entirely upon the memory of HJO to build an understanding of the long since dead human culture.
I'm off to start the sequel, Second Genesis, now.