Brian Stableford, Designer Genes

Designer Genes

Brian Stableford

Five Star, Mar 2004, $25.95, 270 pp.

ISBN: 1594140332

This eleven story collection focuses on biological technologies that Brian Stableford insists have "profound emotional and ethical effect." Each of the well written tales makes a case mostly for, but at times against advances in fields like bacteriology and artificial control of contraception with the designer-inventor considered a stein type that is either Dr. Einstein or Dr. Frankenstein. The contributions were published in other books or journals with the oldest being from 1991. Though obviously on the side of scientific breakthroughs with these enjoyable stories, still Mr. Stableford furbishes entries when science runs amuck. Readers will appreciate this terrific anthology that as the author says is an "eccentric propaganda campaign", but does not take away from the reality that the entries are cleverly designed to provoke debate yet remain entertaining as any good science fiction work should.

Harriet Klausner