- Paperback: 304 pages
- Publisher: Arrow; New Ed edition (24 May 2001)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0099415526
- ISBN-13: 978-0099415527
- Product Dimensions: 13.1 x 2.5 x 19.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 545,518 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Zodiac
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Product Description
Book Description
Frightening, funny, fast and furious, Zodiac is thrilling speculative fiction torn straight from today's headlines.
Product Description
Two centuries after the Boston Tea Party, harbour dumping is still a favourite local sport, only this time it's major corporations piping toxic wastes into the water.
Environmentalist and professional pain in the ass Sangaman Taylor is Boston's modern -day Paul Revere, spreading the word from a 40-horsepower Zodiac raft. Embarrassing powerful corporations in highly telegenic ways is the perfect method of making enemies, and Taylor has a collection that would do any rabble-rouser proud.After his latest exploit, he's wanted by the FBI, possibly by the Mafia, and definitely by a group of Satanist angel-dust heads who think he's looking for a PCP factory, not PCB contamination.
Pretty soon dodging bullets is the least of Taylor's problems - because somewhere out there are an unhinged genetic engineer and a lab-concocted bacterium that could destroy all ocean life and that's just for appetizers.Frightening, funny, fast and furious, Zodiac is thrilling speculative fiction torn straight from today's headlines.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Eaten by the Bugs,
By
This review is from: Zodiac (Paperback)
Zodiac is described on the cover blurb as an 'eco-thriller', and for a change the blurb is close to being accurate. The book's main character is an ecological-crime detective, busily hunting down evidence of corporations illegally dumping hazardous waste and using publicity stunts and clogging up discharge pipes with cement as his main weapons against these companies. The book takes on a decided thriller aspect with the introduction of gene-tailored bacteria, designed to 'eat' contaminates, but there is a variety that generates them instead. How these bacteria are tracked down and controlled provides the main thrust for this book. The plot is the main driver here, characterization outside of the protagonist is definitely skimpy, and in places the ecological warnings (though presented with apparent good scientific backing) become a little too strident, in places reminding me of Philip Wylie's The End of the Dream. Unlike some of his later books, his message is delivered almost directly, with little in the way of satire, irony, or his by-now patented brand of humor. The plot moves rapidly and logically, with enough potential hazard in the situation to easily quality as a 'thriller'. This makes for a quick read, but without his special zing that would make this book stand out. Definitely an early effort, not in the class of his Snow Crash or The Diamond Age, still quite readable, but probably a must only for Stephenson hard-core fans.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Pacy SF Thriller,
By
This review is from: Zodiac (Paperback)
An early example of Neal Stephenson's work, this does not have quite the depth of imagination of later offerings (such as Snow Crash or The Diamond Age) but the action is fast, the use of language excellent and the science spot on. In most works of Science Fiction the science is Physics, yet in Zodiac it's Chemistry and Biology that get a chance to shine. The introduction of a character with some scientific training into a situation where those with more knee-jerk views often dominate is a pleasing feature of this novel. The plotting sometimes goes slightly astray (the Satanist Rock band's involvement is sketchy and ill explained) and our main protagonist certainly seems to be more a super-hero of the 50's who can do no wrong than a late 80's drop-out. However these minor points should not detract from this books appeal as a a good action read. I would like to know if it has inspired anyone to partake in some direct action?
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Stuff but not SF,
By A Customer
This review is from: Zodiac (Paperback)
Having read Snow Crash, Diamond Age, and Interface (written under Stephen Bury pseudonym), I bought this. It's a ripping good yarn, keeping me up till 2am, no bother. However, beware! It is subtitled 'the eco-thriller, and it is just that. Those expecting near-future or far-future adventures, as seen in other works, might be disappointed.
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