Dan GallagherThe Pleistocene RedemptionMonika says:
Genetic engineering is one of the most controversial technologies of all times, even more so than nuclear power. In his 1997 thriller Dan Gallagher depicts the subject of cloning of extinct animals that Michael Crichton chose ten years ago for JURASSIC PARK, his best novel so far. When asked to picture prehistoric animals most people automatically think of dinosaurs. During the last ice age existed animals big enough to spur the reader's imagination. It may be hard to believe that a 65 million years old Tyrannosaurus rex can be brought back to life, but what about mammoths or saber-toothed tigers, who became extinct just a few millennia ago when modern man already roamed the Earth? What if somebody isolated enough genetic material to clone them? Or even a Neanderthaloid or a Cro-Magnon? Genetic scientist Kevin Harrigan developed a special procedure to restore fossil DNA. Thus it is possible to clone extinct life forms, provided that there is material to start from. On the brink of the new millenium some sensational discoveries are made, unearthing a series of fossils preserved under special conditions so that they contain enough paleo-DNA to attempt a cloning. At the beginning of the 21st century the political situation in the Near East is more stable than nowadays, so nobody thinks it unusual that Iraq of all countries offers to finance the experiment. A research center is built in Al-Rajda and a zoo in Israel to house the revived ice age fauna. Nobody cares that the Atlas mountains have to be reduced to two thirds of their original height to create the necessary climatic conditions. It is kept from the public that the natives of the region are ruthlessly pushed aside. And the hidden agenda of Iraqi president Mon is discovered only when it's too late... This novel contains enough dynamite for several books, and that's exactly the problem. Many important subjects are only touched on, even though the reader would like to know more about them. The central issue of the book, however, is the question whether or not it is justifiable to clone Neanderthaloids or Cro-Magnons and to keep them in a closed reservation that is no different from a zoo. After all they are a species of homo sapiens, and it sends cold showers down your spine to read about the ruthlessness of politicians and the military concerning their fate. That fact that this time human beings are cloned is also the biggest difference between this novel and Michael Crichton's JURASSIC PARK, although THE PLEISTOCENE REDEMPTION too is packed with action. This goes to show that beings that vanished from the face of the earth only a few hundred thousand years or less ago can be quite interesting. All in all the subject was treated adequately. Some issues may not get the attention they deserve, but nothing is dragged out and the story proceeds at a quick pace. Who after reading the book hasn't developed a slightly critical attitude towards unlimited progress may want to pick it up again and try to enter Gallaghers world once more. The novel may not be the best book of the decade but offers a lot of food for thought. Dan Gallagher: The Pleistocene Redemption Links:You can download an excerpt at the Paleobook website. |
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Copyright 1998 Christina Gross & Monika Hübner |
