Publications: Reviews
THE SECRET OF LIFE by Paul McAuley
HarperCollins 2001 391pp £16.99
For his latest novel, Paul McAuley has lost the “J” from his name, but luckily nothing from his formidable talent. As is becoming more common from publishers of hard sf, The Secret of Life is described as a thriller blended with classic sf sense of wonder -- in this case, McAuley’s speciality of biotechnology.
All of which is true. The Secret of Life is a cracking good story, moving from Earth to Mars, and back again. A Chinese expedition seems to have discovered something deep under the Martian ice-cap, and brought it back. But it is accidentally loosed, and soon the oceans are threatened by “slicks” -- a version of the microscopic Martian life-form that is mutating and spreading out of control.
The second part of the story moves to a well-realised Mars (all serious users of Mars are Kim Stanley Robinson’s children now) where an American-led expedition tries to find what the Chinese had, in order to learn how to control it. And when they return to earth with the samples that everyone wants, the fun really begins....
The only reservations that I have with The Secret of Life are with this third section, a lot of which seems to be chase and pursuit for its own sake, and to show off elements of McAuley’s near-future Earth. Nevertheless, the ending is ultimately satisfying, with heroism and villainy being rewarded in their required ways, and the exploration into the secret of life being assured.
With this novel Paul McAuley continues to retain his position as one of Britain’s best and most versatile sf writers.
It’s a treat.
Copyright (c) 2001 John Howard