• Darwin's Children

  • A Novel
  • By: Greg Bear
  • Narrated by: Scott Brick
  • Length: 17 hrs and 26 mins
  • 3.9 out of 5 stars (435 ratings)

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Darwin's Children  By  cover art

Darwin's Children

By: Greg Bear
Narrated by: Scott Brick
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Publisher's summary

Greg Bear’s Nebula Award-winning novel Darwin’s Radio painted a chilling portrait of humankind on the threshold of a radical leap in evolution. Now, Bear continues his provocative tale of the human race confronted by an uncertain future, where “survival of the fittest” takes on astonishing and controversial new dimensions.

Eleven years have passed since SHEVA, an ancient retrovirus, was discovered in human DNA - a retrovirus that caused mutations in the human genome and heralded the arrival of a new wave of genetically enhanced humans. Now, these changed children have reached adolescence...and face a world that is outraged about their very existence. For these special youths, possessed of remarkable, advanced traits that mark a major turning point in human development, are also ticking time bombs harboring hosts of viruses that could exterminate the "old" human race.

Fear and hatred of the virus children have made them a persecuted underclass, quarantined by the government in special “schools”, targeted by federally sanctioned bounty hunters, and demonized by hysterical segments of the population. But pockets of resistance have sprung up among those opposed to treating the children like dangerous diseases - and who fear the worst if the government’s draconian measures are carried to their extreme.

Scientists Kaye Lang and Mitch Rafelson are part of this small but determined minority. Once at the forefront of the discovery and study of the SHEVA outbreak, they now live as virtual exiles in the Virginia suburbs with their daughter, Stella - a bright, inquisitive virus child who is quickly maturing, straining to break free of the protective world her parents have built around her, and eager to seek out others of her kind.

But for all their precautions, Kaye, Mitch, and Stella have not slipped below the government's radar. The agencies fanatically devoted to segregating and controlling the new-breed children monitor their every move - watching and waiting for the opportunity to strike the next blow in their escalating war to preserve "humankind" at any cost.

©2003 Greg Bear (P)2003 Books on Tape, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Bear's sure sense of character, his fluid prose style and the fascinating culture his 'Shevite' children begin to develop all make for serious SF of the highest order." (Publishers Weekly)

"Top-shelf science fiction, thrilling and intellectually charged." (Amazon.com)

What listeners say about Darwin's Children

Average customer ratings
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  • 4 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Too much detail detail and felt forced

Wow, Kind of disappointed in the story. No real conclusion just a good point to stop (why, after 16years did the government just suddenly stop persecuting the children).
The author goes into too much detail setting up scenes... details that have no baring on the story. It also drags a bit with asides that don't seem to have any correlation to the story line. This felt forced... like the publishing house pushed him to write a sequel and the author was compelled to come up with a story.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

disappointing

A trilogy that starts with detailed, if not realistic, science ends in mysticism. The afterword reveals the trilogy to be an argument for faith masquerading as hard science fiction. I will remember Greg Bear as a posuer to be avoided. Such bait and switch backdoor advocacy is extremely annoying.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent Sequel

Great performance! Satisfying culmination of an epic story. This is Greg Bear at his finest. an intricate story that is all the more frightening because it hinges on scientific fact and speculation.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Scott Brick ruins another story

Will someone at Audible please tell Scott Brick, the narrator, to just READ and not act the story? PLEASE.

It's not only that Brick is bad at dramatic reading, it is also condescending. Does he think that the listeners are three-year-olds and want an overacted bedtime story?

He reduces the narrative to caricature. Listening to hours of phony accents and overblown emotions in every line is exhausting. If I were the author of this series, I'd consider getting counsel.

Although it's hard to dig out the actual text from the crush of poor and oversimplified narration, Darwin's Children is an engaging story especially for those with an anthropological or biological background.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Different

At the beginning I thought I knew where it 'might' be going---I was wrong. At first I wasn't sure I liked the path Bear took the novel and was disappointed. Having a strong science background I liked the science part and thought his departure from where I might have taken the book, if I could write that is...disappointing, but I finally came around to appreciate it was written by a different perspective than say hard core sci-fi, or hard core scientific influence.
Having segued into that mind set I enjoyed the last part. It was kind of like having two books, once separate then conjoined, sort of juxtaposed unity. Sorry don't mean to be glib but it's the only way I know to decribe my perception of Darwin's Children.
The first book had more scientific overlays which contributed to my conflicting views: I like it, I don't like it, maybe I will like it, not bad.
All told it is a different book then I normally listen to (although I didn't know that at the onset), being a Robert Hamilton, Sanderson, Stephen King kind of sci-fi reader/listener, but I have to say I came to enjoy the different path that Bear took, at least this once. Hmm I think I'm rambling so just get the book, put aside any self-perceived notions at the start and enjoy going somewhere you might not have bought a ticket for. The scenery will be enjoyable if not spectacular. Good doesn't mean mediocre.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Good book. ok performance.

Was surprised Scott Brick ' s performance was a bit lackluster. perhaps an issue of direction. story was good, though choppy time line at places.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Sequel delivers

Enjoyed the first book, Darwin's Radio, and enjoyed the Darwin's Children just as much.

Good book, it went by quickly. I hope there will be another book that continues the story....

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent.

6/5 Another riveting discovery for me. Good flow, edge of your seat with a great story. worth another listen. Exceptional.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Greg Bear At his best... Hard Science

This story is hard science. Some of the DNA / phage interactions in the book are now being research in bio labs today. Evolutionary “jump” theories are now being supported by some science studies into dogs and insects. This is a great story of hard Sci-Fi and Ben tells it well.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Ruined by the narrator

I like Bear's books, and I am sure that I would enjoy this one, but the narrator is dismal. He singsongs through the whole thing, as if he is bored of the story. It doesn't matter what he is saying, the cadence never changes, and it certainly doesn't reflect (let alone enhance) the story. He sounds petulant, like a father reading a book to a child he desperately wants to put to sleep.

Is it just this book? No. I made the mistake of picking up another by this same narrator (Paul of Dune - don't do it!) I lasted about 5 minutes in that one. It took about 90 minutes in this one before I just couldn't take it any more. I think the book has a lot of promise, but not in this format.

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