Hybrids

The Neanderthal Parallax, Book 3

By: Robert J. Sawyer

Narrated by: Jonathan Davis, Robert J. Sawyer

Length: 11 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

Scientists (and lovers) Mary Vaughan, who is human, and Ponter Boddit, who is Neanderthal, embark on the harrowing adventure of conceiving a child together. To overcome the genetic barbed wire of mismatched chromosomes, they must use banned technology obtainable only from a Neanderthal scientist living in the northern wilderness.

BONUS AUDIO: Author Robert J. Sawyer reveals the "secret history" of The Neanderthal Parallax trilogy.

Hunt and gather: listen to more in the Neanderthal Parallax trilogy.

©2003 by Robert J. Sawyer (P)2008 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"The genre's northern star - in fact, one of the hottest SF writers anywhere." ( Maclean's)

A great end

I loved this book, and it was a fitting end to the trilogy. I think this series would make an excellent miniseries or even stretched out to a couple of seasons as a TV show. This book really delves into consciousness and how it may have developed, and I found it completely intriguing, often stopping to make notes on things to look up later to research for myself. I would keep reading books that continued Ponter and Mary's story, as well as their offspring. A solid 4.5 star novel.

Great story and the boy-talk is forgivable

Again, I couldn't stop listening! It's a fine climax to the trilogy. I was pleased that Sawyer acknowledged the inevitable male fantasy of menage a trois when 2 Neanderthal men and a homo sapiens woman have to share living space. I was unsurprised, however, when he had the woman reject the idea.

I was also unsurprised (and rolled my eyes) when he gave in to the equally inevitable temptation of an interspecies lesbian love scene. I saw that coming as soon as the man-mate - woman- mate setup of the Neanderthal world was explained.

The twin big "scientific" plots in the third novel were not as gripping as in each of the others. Earth's magnetic fields affecting consciousness just didn't seem relevant or interesting. interspecies and intergender biological warfare was relevant and interesting, but Sawyer's denouement was contrived.

The series is definitely worth the listening time and credits for all three. However, I listened only after stumbling onto Calculating God and falling in love with it. The Neanderthal Parallax series isn't as terrific.

Some things I like..some i dont

Very good novel..however..i don't agree with all the anti God theam of the story. The relationships are engrossing.

Could be better

The overall story is great but Mary is way too limited and painfully stupid most of the time.

Really?...

So the good doctor, bites the dust. Mary who is so smart takes forever to figure out who modified the virus. Yet, you have a device that could work wonders....feels like the ending could have involved everyone of the four...like it was unnecessary to subtract them from the plot....otherwise good story, with dissatisfying ending...

To didactic for its own good, but fine

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Sawyer explains in an interview that Planet of the Apes was the inspiration for this trilogy, insofar as it used sic-fi to investigate then contemporary moral and political issues. I can definitely see the connection, but this investigation ends up being too didactic and simplistic for my taste. Pretty clear sense of good and bad and all that comes with that.

Loved this series

I really enjoyed how the author didn't just give us great Syfy but also added a realistic feel to how both sides react. When faced with new situations that are not understood, people react in very different way.

As good as the first two!

Hybrids returns us back to the Neanderthal world of Ponter Boddit. Mary has agreed to live on the Neanderthal world fulltime and the reader is treated to some interesting new facets of the Neanderthal society. I enjoyed the drama and tension found here in book three and found it holds its own well compared to the first two books. Great narration.

God is only in your Parietal Lobe!

Where does Hybrids rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

In the middle

Any additional comments?

Would have been 31/2 stars overall but can't do that!
Hybrids, the last book in Sawyers trilogy is a hit or miss for me. I'm secure enough to be able to read a book purporting to be sci-fi but that is more social commentary, that is 180+/- degrees from what I believe and or know to be true and to still see it for what it is, a book of fiction not fact. I think Sawyer goes overboard in maligning religious experience, miracles, UFO'S, after-life, and any other supernatural experience one might have had or think they have. Where big brother not only watches everyone, but lives with you daily and you're happy about it. Where generations are born every so many years so all grow up as the same age in a particular generation, certainly great birth control..Although this could have made for a great sci-fi book. Could have! But in my opinion, didn't. The sociology was so ingrained in this last book of the trilogy as to be trying to force a mind change on anyone who in reality (not just the fantasy world of the book), doesn't agree with it and that we're probably not as good a society/world as the Neanderthals. Which in a few cases we aren't compared to Neanderthal ideology presented. Sawyer's Calculating God, which I really enjoyed, had some of the god talk as well but in a more comparative way.. Letting the reader on their fantasy trip see more sides to a premise than only the one that Hybrid gives.
For me, not one of Sawyers best. I'm not sorry I listened to it, it had some good science in it, especially quantum computers, but the end was really a let down for me on what could have been a great comparative analysis of parallel worlds. Hope this helps.
If you are a very religious person of any faith, you may not want to listen to this. I doubt it will change your mind but I know you won't like the end. If you don't take offense easily about your beliefs in supernatural happenings, miracles etc. and especially religion and can see the social commentary for what it is...then you may enjoy the scientific parts of the book. I'm not sorry I listened to it. It's the fourth book of Sawyers I've listened to, but I do hope his other books aren't based on the same type/hype of social commentary!

Just Great!

Overall I loved it: The entire Trilogy. I just couldn’t get enough of Mary trying to explain (justify) our society to Ponter, I thought that it brought up so many different and interesting issues: Religion, Crime and Punishment, The Right to Choose, Environment, Relationships, Science and Technology etc … I found it endlessly interesting!

Having said that, I didn’t like the Jock storyline and I won’t say more about it because I don’t want to spoil it for those who have not read it yet. The book seemed to morph (degenerate) from a really thought-provoking story to Bruce-Willis-Action; I was more annoyed than on the edge of my seat.

Still, it didn’t ruin it for me at all. If ever there is a Book 4 someday – I am in!