George Galen is a brilliant scientist, a pioneer in gene therapy. But Galen is dangerously insane – he has created a method to alter human DNA, not just to heal diseases, but to “improve” people – make them stronger, make them able to heal more quickly, and make them compliant to his will.
Frank Hartman is also a brilliant virologist, working for the government’s ultra-secret bio-hazard agency. He has discovered how to neutralize Galen’s DNA-changing virus, making him the one man who stands in the way of Galen’s plan to "improve" the entire human race.
This taut thriller takes the reader a few years into the future, and shows the promise and danger of new genetic medicine techniques.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 2.5 based on 49 reviews)

The difference between a screenplay and a novel

As a huge fan of OSC, I hesitated to start Invasive Procedures when I saw he had a co-writer. After forcing myself to finish it, I can only say my instincts were sound. This 'novel' reads much more like the first draft of a screenplay, and is a huge disappointment. Only the broadest outlines of characters are present; a good director and actors might be able to fill in the white space and make us care about them, but the plot is fragmented and almost a parody of itself. I hope that this was a failed experiment by one of my favorite writers, rather than a shortcut to another book. I've watched too many outstanding writers fall into this trap of poorly executed collaborations (Tom Clancy is a sad example).
November 04, 2008

It was a fun (and creepy) read

"Invasive Procedures" is not Card's best work - mainly because most of it is not done by Card. However, that doesn't mean that Aaron Johnston, with whom Card collaborated on this work, didn't do a good job in writing an interesting screenplay-turned-novel, because he did. It's just not what we're used to seeing under the cover of a Card book.

Having said that, once you get past the "This is Orson Scott Card???" reflex and take the story for what it is - a science-fiction medical thriller, you'll have a lot of fun. As with many non-hard sci-fi stories, you have to take things with a grain of salt. Remember that this story isn't supposed to be about what's real, or even possible with today's medical science. It's a traditional "what-if" thriller that takes the reader on a fun ride through fantasyland. In that respect, this book hits it's mark.

The characters aren't fleshed out much beyond detailed outlines (except for our protagonist, Frank), and the story borders on the absurd. But it's fun. If you let it, this book will engage you. You won't be talking about it in 10 years like Card's more famous books, but you'll be entertained. It's a perfect book for the beach, plane ride or waiting room.

So, take a deep breath, hold your expectations and have fun!
October 25, 2008

Written like a trite Hollywood Movie

This book was lame. I've enjoyed Card in the past; this is nothing like his best work, in style nor quality. Don't waste your time. Preachy plot, flat characters, absurd action sequences. And, it gets worse as you near the end.
October 19, 2008

Orson, your name is your brand...

and you really sullied it when you allowed it to appear on the cover of this book. If anybody, like me, looks at the name dominating the cover and thinks "Oh good, an Orson Scott Card book! Creative premise, plausible science, carefully constructed plot, interesting characters..." *BLAAAT* Wrong! Guess again. This stinker reads exactly like what it is: A screenplay for a generic Hollywood sci-fi/horror B-movie. Flat, generic characters, including the lead and the 'love interest'. Turning points where the characters do something stupid and against policy and against their (otherwise extensive) training, because.. well, that's what the plot requires! Super-secret government agencies! Clueless ambitious bureaucrats! A demented evil genius scientist who has *single-handedly* advanced 20 years beyond the rest of the world *in his secret lab in an abandoned building*. Gosh, that's a fresh idea. And so believable - right out of the headlines. Aaargh!!! Not to mention the idiotic science. DNA that causes people's faces to melt - I hope some biochemist approved that one, because it *sounds* like utter BS to me. (Plot spoiler:) Programming one man's memories and personality into somebody else using DNA! Lessee... trillions of synapses in the brain, hundreds of thousands of genes... Hey, close enough, maybe they used a .zip file. Ugh, what a stinker. I couldn't finish it.
October 18, 2008

Biological Thriller

I loved this book and could not put it down. I thought it was a very fast paced thriller with a genetics focus. I loved the science behind it because it is a world we could be entering soon. Some of the science was far fetched now but soon it may not be. This book was written with a style similar to "Homebody". It was different from his regular series books but I still loved it.
September 26, 2008

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