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Ancestor is a great story but it doesn't compare to Nocturnal, Infected, and Contagious. I did enjoy the Asian character and her rising foreboding about just what she was doing messing with genetics. The beasts made the book, though. Researching your ancestors? At MyHeritage you can find ancestors, trace ancestors, and perform an ancestor search for free. Even if you don t know how to find ancestors, the simple MyHeritage Research interface allows you to search hundreds of ancestor databases simultaneously. This makes finding family ancestors quick and easy.
On a remote island in Lake Superior, scientists struggle to solve the problem of xenotransplantation - using animal tissue to replace failing human organs. Funded by the biotech firm Genada, Dr. Claus Rhumkorrf seeks to recreate the ancestor of all mammals.By getting back to the root of our creation, Rhumkorrf hopes to create an animal with human internal organs.
On a remote island in Lake Superior, scientists struggle to solve the problem of xenotransplantation - using animal tissue to replace failing human organs. Funded by the biotech firm Genada, Dr. Claus Rhumkorrf seeks to recreate the ancestor of all mammals.By getting back to the root of our creation, Rhumkorrf hopes to create an animal with human internal organs.
Rhumkorrf discovers the ancestor, but it is not the small, harmless creature he envisions. His genius gives birth to a fast-growing evil that nature eradicated 250 million years ago — an evil now on the loose, and very, very hungry. This answer contains spoilersJian had self-implanted her engineered embryos before she died.
I think the humanoid you're referring to is Jian's Ancestor offspring that somehowJian had self-implanted her engineered embryos before she died. I think the humanoid you're referring to is Jian's Ancestor offspring that somehow survived her death.
Colding buried Jian in a shallow grave in a clearing next to a sapling birch, and birch trees are white like the tree described in the epilogue. Also, the humanoid described was covered in black hair, like its probable mother, Jian, and also like how Baby McButters had the same fur coloring on her face (white with a black eye patch) as her mother, Molly McButters. So much burger meat and blood!I really enjoyed Ancestor, as I strongly recommend this tome. It was a silly, fun ride into spooky oblivion!
It begins with a sort of genetic engineering anomaly without much detailed science to bog you down with. I do like science though, and there was enough to go around.Somewhere in the middle of this book it becomes a phantasmagorical fantasy ride into a 007 crossed with Mafioso machismo. You must suspend belief when it comes to name dropping too. So much burger meat and blood!I really enjoyed Ancestor, as I strongly recommend this tome. It was a silly, fun ride into spooky oblivion! It begins with a sort of genetic engineering anomaly without much detailed science to bog you down with. I do like science though, and there was enough to go around.Somewhere in the middle of this book it becomes a phantasmagorical fantasy ride into a 007 crossed with Mafioso machismo.
You must suspend belief when it comes to name dropping too. The island, with the Chinese bipolar nut case, becomes the means for the monster mash.Towards the end, all hell brakes loose as the monsters get loose and much mayhem and madness ensues. I've tried not to indulge any spoilers here, and be warned the anxiety and blood bath may require an Ativan or jello shots to overcome the neurological anomalies that will rack your neurons and axions.
All in all, this is a fun ride through a genetic monster story and is most definitely in the action category. Possibly the most boring, useless book I have ever read.This book has been out for quite a while but I have only recently read it and I felt the urge to review it.I spotted this book while searching for something new to read. It was cheap and had a great premise: 'Scientists on an island try to clone an ancient monster so they can use its organs in transplants. Everything goes wrong.'
Sounds good, right? A simple action horror. Something easy to read. Fun is not what this book offers. Possibly the most boring, useless book I have ever read.This book has been out for quite a while but I have only recently read it and I felt the urge to review it.I spotted this book while searching for something new to read. It was cheap and had a great premise: 'Scientists on an island try to clone an ancient monster so they can use its organs in transplants. Everything goes wrong.'
Sounds good, right? A simple action horror. Something easy to read. Fun is not what this book offers. You could honestly get more fun out of raping a cactus.One of the worst aspects of this book is the characters. Everybody is a stereotype.
Not even that, they're all a parody. The main character seems to be a parody of every action hero in fiction!But that's not as bad as the bad guys. A German scientist who's obsessed with getting the Nobel prize is not the major bad guy, more of a dick who doesn't help things. But the major bad guy, beside the flesh eating monsters, is a European, money hungry psycho with lots of guns. His brother sends him to the island to make sure things don't go wrong. They're so generic that it's almost offensive.
If this psycho had a curly mustache and an English accent, I would have had to put it down and forget about it.They're not even slightly fleshed out. Do you remember Gremlins? Do you remember when Phoebe Cates' character would try to talk about a traumatic incident but she'd be interupted? Well, every character has a whole bunch of those moments but nobody interupts them.for a while, I thought that maybe this was a sequel and that the characters were already fleshed out in an other book and that all of the explanatory dialogue and flashbacks were there to reminder the reader of the previous book.
But, it turns out that there is no previous book.I know, I know 'it's just a bit of fun.' If the plot was as fast paced and fun as promised, I would have forgiven Scott Sigler for his awful characters but three quarters of the book is dedicated to the details of cloning. I know too much about cloning now. What's worse is, it reads like wikipedia. This makes the book so slow and boring that the last few chapters, where the ancestors start killing, is sort of silly and out of place.and by the time the plot actually kicks in, I have already guessed who survives and how they get away. I had to imagine the 'rat creatures' from 'Bone' as the ancestors just to keep myself amused.Quotes on the book and on Sigler's website say that this book is fast paced, well written, original, scary etc.
These quotes say that the writer is the next Steven King. I'm guessing that the quotes were cut off before the speaker could say 'only fucking with you, it's awful.'
So, to summarise: This book is a slow, boring pile of horse cum with horrible 2-D characters. If you want something easy to read, read the bus schedule.Taken from my blog. 4.5 stars (AND OH SO CLOSE TO A 5 STAR RATING). This was my first book by Scott Sigler and I now consider myself a fan and will be reading more of his books in the future.This is a high-octane, fast paced scientific thriller that does a better job than many in this genre on two very important points:1). I thought the author did a really good job with the characters and the dialogue. Even when nothing was going on with the plot (which was not often) the dialogue between characters kept me 4.5 stars (AND OH SO CLOSE TO A 5 STAR RATING). This was my first book by Scott Sigler and I now consider myself a fan and will be reading more of his books in the future.This is a high-octane, fast paced scientific thriller that does a better job than many in this genre on two very important points:1).
I thought the author did a really good job with the characters and the dialogue. Even when nothing was going on with the plot (which was not often) the dialogue between characters kept me entertained and I even found myself laughing a few times at the banter. This is often the place where you see a writer's faults when he can't adequately handle the 'quiet' moments in a story. Not the case here and the author gets high marks from me.2).
The science was fascinating and included the right balance between detail and pacing. The story revovles around xenotransplantation which is the using of animal tissue to replace failing human organs.
The main characters are trying to genetically engineer animals that are compatible with humans so that they can be bred to act as organ donors. Very interesting and the set up to when the experiment goes wrong is excellent with the right build up of tension.The 'villians' of the story (of which there are both human and non human) are also very, very cool and this actually leads to the only reason I did not give this 5 stars. I would have liked to learn MORE about the skills and abilities of the genetic monstrosities and I thought that the exposition on the creatures was a little too sparse.
However, this is a relatively minor gripe and I still HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book as it was a terrific read. Great plot, Great Characters, and a great deal of action and bloodjust the way I like it. Scott Sigler can write a hell of a story.
He inserts a lot of research and science into his stories (mixed with a bit of gore), but doesnt try and knock you out with facts or make it so complex you cant understand it. Scott breaks it down and gives a real look at the horrors that he has created. I am playing a bit of catch up with Mr. Siglers work and am enjoying every minute of it. Great plot, Great Characters, and a great deal of action and bloodjust the way I like it. Scott Sigler can write a hell of a story.
He inserts a lot of research and science into his stories (mixed with a bit of gore), but doesn’t try and knock you out with facts or make it so complex you can’t understand it. Scott breaks it down and gives a real look at the horrors that he has created.
I am playing a bit of catch up with Mr. Siglers work and am enjoying every minute of it. ANCESTOR is about two deadly killers - one of them is a control-crazed millionaire named Magnus and the other is his lab-manufactured genetic horrors. Magnus was trying to create placid herd animals available to donate organs for humans who need transplants, but a delusional scientist tweaked the DNA and instead made large vicious predators. When Magnus tries to cover-up the project, these beasts get loose. Now everyone on an isolated island is at risk of being hunted down and exterminated ANCESTOR is about two deadly killers - one of them is a control-crazed millionaire named Magnus and the other is his lab-manufactured genetic horrors. Magnus was trying to create placid herd animals available to donate organs for humans who need transplants, but a delusional scientist tweaked the DNA and instead made large vicious predators.
When Magnus tries to cover-up the project, these beasts get loose. Now everyone on an isolated island is at risk of being hunted down and exterminated either by Magnus or by the hungry creatures.I'm not sure who is scarier, Magnus or the Ancestor predators. Both of them seem equally ruthless. And the author seems to take great delight in making you love these wonderful quirky characters, and then slaughtering them a few chapters later. No one seems to be off-limits, which has you alternately cursing the author and biting your nails. You will have a blissful ride of unique action and bloodshed and terror until the ultimate showdown in-between Magnus and his horrible creatures. Some authors just need to be heard.
Scott Sigler is one of those authors. He reads his books with such enthusiasm, it can't help but be entertaining. This book was one long chase filled adventure romp. I listened to it while traveling and it was perfect because I could pause and stop it as needed and not feel like I had to rewind (yes I said rewind, and yes I know it dates me!) I really can't tell you why but I just really enjoy Mr. Sigler's writing style and his stories. This is the third book Some authors just need to be heard. Scott Sigler is one of those authors.
He reads his books with such enthusiasm, it can't help but be entertaining. This book was one long chase filled adventure romp. I listened to it while traveling and it was perfect because I could pause and stop it as needed and not feel like I had to rewind (yes I said rewind, and yes I know it dates me!) I really can't tell you why but I just really enjoy Mr. Sigler's writing style and his stories.
This is the third book I have 'read' of his and I just love him more and more! I like a good monster story that is backed up by a scientific origin: the experimentation and theory make for interesting reading before yielding the invariably ravenous result upon the poor scientists and support crew. Here, Sigler throws in some passages about DNA and animal-cloning and xenotransplating and species-jumping viruses, going into just enough detail to give his story just enough technical background.
All of the high-tech gadgetry surrounding the laboratory and the armament of the I like a good monster story that is backed up by a scientific origin: the experimentation and theory make for interesting reading before yielding the invariably ravenous result upon the poor scientists and support crew. Here, Sigler throws in some passages about DNA and animal-cloning and xenotransplating and species-jumping viruses, going into just enough detail to give his story just enough technical background. All of the high-tech gadgetry surrounding the laboratory and the armament of the accompanying mercenaries also add some gee-wizardry to the proceedings.Really, though, monsters were my main requirement in this book, and Sigler delivers a decent one in 'Ancestor.'
I was disappointed that he revealed their nature early on through various autopsy scenes in the middle of the book; I'd rather that the scientists get more of a surprise at a later stage in the game, when the claws are out and it's too late to question past actions. That criticism aside, Sigler does let his creations lose in the story to run amok and kill willy-nilly. He also throws in monsters of the psychotic homo sapiens variety for villainous color and an ire-inducing outlet.' Ancestor' is a good romp through science monster-tale land. Others have made the comparison to Crichton's JP, and I can't help but see it, too. If you dug the velociraptors wreaking havoc on a tropical island, you will dig the ancestors wreaking same on a wintry rock.On a different note: this is the third, full-length novel that I've read on the Kindle, and I'm surprised by how easy it is to immerse myself in the screen with the same concentration that I bring to the printed page.
Normally, I'd pick up a book like this in print, but Amazon waved it under my nose with a 99 cent price tag, and I was too weak-willed to resist. Print will always rule; that said, count me in with eBooks on ergonomic, reading-friendly eReaders. It feels like it had been a while since I'd read a genetic experiment / monster book, so I was very happy to get my hands on Ancestor. It provided a refreshing change to my reading schedule.
It's not a breathtaking book by any means, but it is an enjoyable one. I found myself staying up about an hour later than I should have to finish it. In the notes in the back of the book, Sigler credits an earlier version of this story with being one of those stories that helped propel him to his current It feels like it had been a while since I'd read a genetic experiment / monster book, so I was very happy to get my hands on Ancestor. It provided a refreshing change to my reading schedule.
It's not a breathtaking book by any means, but it is an enjoyable one. I found myself staying up about an hour later than I should have to finish it. In the notes in the back of the book, Sigler credits an earlier version of this story with being one of those stories that helped propel him to his current status. I can see why, but at the same time, it's not nearly as good as it could be.Sigler has proven in his other works that he can deliver unique, imagination-engaging works of fiction that can surprise you or send shivers down your spine.
That is not the case with this story. Instead, Ancestor is a fairly generic story of genetic experimentation gone wrong. Most of the book is lead-up to what you're really wanting to experience. It could have been about a 1/3rd shorter and been just as good. It feels like a good chunk of it was filler for the re-vamped version.Probably the most interesting thing for me had nothing to do with the monsters at all. Instead I was fascinated by Jian, one of the scientists, and the lengths that people went to to keep her working.
She's the classic case of a brilliant mind hampered by mental and emotional disturbances. How people interact with her is fascinating to think about. I felt extremely sorry for her.In terms of the monsters - well, they were actually scarier in utero than they were once they were born. Once they were born, they were fairly unmemorable. But in utero?
Man, some of those scenes will send shivers down your spine! I have to say, I did like the reveal behind their creation at the very end. It wasn't what I was expecting, and it wasn't what I wanted, but it was interesting enough to make me go 'Hm, I can see that.' Overall, whilst engaging enough to keep you up to finish it, it wasn't anything spectacular or worth recommending to any of your friends.
Sigler's other works are definitely better. Still, if you see it for a couple bucks at the local bookstore, it wouldn't be a total disappointment.
The paperback cover alone is worth it. So cheesy and awesome. FromI read Ancestor simultaneously with my husband, a definite non-reader. I bought him the paperback for his birthday and I also had a copy on my Kindle because we both LOVED Siglers last books Infected and Contagious.
(What can I say? To a bookdork, there is nothing sexier than a guy who will read with you)Since sharing books is such a rarity, I never shove books at him unless Im convinced hell like them. Infected and Contagious were so creepy good, that I was SURE wed FromI read Ancestor simultaneously with my husband, a definite non-reader. I bought him the paperback for his birthday and I also had a copy on my Kindle because we both LOVED Sigler’s last books Infected and Contagious. (What can I say?
To a bookdork, there is nothing sexier than a guy who will read with you)Since sharing books is such a rarity, I never shove books at him unless I’m convinced he’ll like them. Infected and Contagious were so creepy good, that I was SURE we’d love this one too. Unfortunately, Ancestor was barely so-so.Essentially, this is a story of a science experiment gone wrong. A group of researchers is trying to decode and combine various mammal genomes in order to discover a common ancestor. This ancestor could then be implanted in a surrogate animal (in this case, cows) and harvested as donor organs to fill human medical transplant needs. Since this is a common ancestor to all mammals, neither the surrogates or the human bodies would reject the animal tissues as foreign.
This premise sounded promising.In actuality, though, the story was boring, predictable, and read like a cross between Jurassic Park and some stupid TV medical drama. In fact, and this is fairly telling as I’m usually a very intense reader, I kept falling asleep and couldn’t finish for days. Hubby got ahead of me because he has insomnia and finished first, but neither of us liked this one at all. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,This author really makes the strangest animal antagonists!COWS.Imagine having cows as antagonists.Oh gosh.
It was so weird, but it was soooo creepy at the same time. What makes it more scary is that it felt as if it could really be true.
One day, a delusional scientist will make bizarre and deadly creatures, I'm telling you!This book also shows that justice shall be served! That dog sure is my hero!!
Read it so that you'll know what I'm talking about. Heh.I admit, the start of this book was a This author really makes the strangest animal antagonists!COWS.Imagine having cows as antagonists.Oh gosh. It was so weird, but it was soooo creepy at the same time.
What makes it more scary is that it felt as if it could really be true. One day, a delusional scientist will make bizarre and deadly creatures, I'm telling you!This book also shows that justice shall be served! That dog sure is my hero!! Read it so that you'll know what I'm talking about.
Heh.I admit, the start of this book was a bit of a drag to me. It was bland and I wanted to go to the action parts right away. As it turns out, it was a big build up. The ending of this book is probably one of the loudest resounding boom in my fictional world.If you like books with really good plots, creepy creatures with gore on the side.
Then this one's for you! Ah man.I wanted to love this book. So much so that I almost gave it 3 stars instead of 2 simply because of my respect for some of this author's other works. The book is 400 pages long and the first 300 pages can probably be summed up in a short paragraph to describe the few significant events that actually happen. The build up to where we actually get to the creatures that these mad scientists have created is tedious. Man is it tedious. I give the author credit for his seemingly vast knowledge Ah man.I wanted to love this book.
So much so that I almost gave it 3 stars instead of 2 simply because of my respect for some of this author's other works. The book is 400 pages long and the first 300 pages can probably be summed up in a short paragraph to describe the few significant events that actually happen.
The build up to where we actually get to the creatures that these mad scientists have created is tedious. Man is it tedious.
I give the author credit for his seemingly vast knowledge of chemistry, biology, and immunology. I had to take every one of these classes to their extreme for my degree and I can't begin to tell you how boring most of those classes were. Sigler doesn't think so though and spends many pages throwing this science in your face.
![Ancestor Ancestor](/uploads/1/2/5/7/125750603/505704573.jpg)
I'm 99% sure that 80% of the time readers are going to skim through those parts EVERY time. So there's that and a ton of boring dialogue amongst many boring characters which make up the first 3/4 of the novel and the action at the end just isn't worth all the work you had to go through to get there.
I'm disappointed but won't give up on this author just yet. I can still remember the first book I read from this author, Infected. I would say that book did what the movie, Arachnophobia did to people watching it. It gave me the chills and creeps all at the same time. Thus, I really thought that I was going to be in for a treat and get the same experience with this book.
I would say that the last third of the book was just what I was looking forward too but I wanted to whole book to be that way.The characters were fine. None that really stood out for I can still remember the first book I read from this author, Infected. I would say that book did what the movie, Arachnophobia did to people watching it. It gave me the chills and creeps all at the same time.
Thus, I really thought that I was going to be in for a treat and get the same experience with this book. I would say that the last third of the book was just what I was looking forward too but I wanted to whole book to be that way.The characters were fine.
None that really stood out for me. Yet, some of them kept things interesting. I just kept waiting to see what the creature was that was going to possibly save humankind.
Again, I was left hanging until the last third of the story. At that point I could not stop reading fast enough. Even some of your worst nightmares could not compare to what was born. This book may not have been one of my favorites but Mr. Sigler is still a top favorite author of mine. I've read some of the reviews and agree with some of their grievances, such as the basic dialogue and elementary descriptions. I would argue though, that the suspense and the mystique surrounding certain characters made me stick around for the long haul (which I don't regret).
My favorite character, Dr. Liu Jiandan was the most interesting. She was psychologically complex, so much so that she may have provided the greatest surprise in the entire story.
Her genius was hard not to admire, I mean I've read some of the reviews and agree with some of their grievances, such as the basic dialogue and elementary descriptions. I would argue though, that the suspense and the mystique surrounding certain characters made me stick around for the long haul (which I don't regret). My favorite character, Dr. Liu Jiandan was the most interesting.
She was psychologically complex, so much so that she may have provided the greatest surprise in the entire story. Her genius was hard not to admire, I mean she did play chess at the Kasparov level. At the same time, she was definitely neurodivergent in some way.
It was admitted that she was a manic-depressive with a desire for suicide. Combine this personality with her role as the only person capable of successfully creating a species perfect for xenotransplantation, and you have a novel in which each chapter leaves you wanting more. Interesting premise and good pacing.
Would have given it four stars but am deducting one for character development and dialogue. I dont need every character in an action story to be complex, but most of the characters here are off the shelf, and the dialogue sometimes feels like it was written by/ aimed at 14 year old boys. Interesting premise and good pacing. Would have given it four stars but am deducting one for character development and dialogue. I don’t need every character in an action story to be complex, but most of the characters here are off the shelf, and the dialogue sometimes feels like it was written by/ aimed at 14 year old boys.
Secret Experiment. Big MistakeAt its most basic level, the story in Ancestor by Scott Sigler could be described as a number of chases.
Firstly, we have the US government trying to track down renegade bio-engineering company Genada, as they try to operate above the law. Then we have the story of evil predators chasing people around an inhospitable island in the dead of winter. It would be really easy to right off this novel as just that, but I strongly urge you not to. Ancestor is so “Secret Experiment. Big Mistake”At its most basic level, the story in Ancestor by Scott Sigler could be described as a number of chases.
Firstly, we have the US government trying to track down renegade bio-engineering company Genada, as they try to operate above the law. Then we have the story of evil predators chasing people around an inhospitable island in the dead of winter. It would be really easy to right off this novel as just that, but I strongly urge you not to. Ancestor is so much more and is worthy of your time.What the author has done is to take a simple enough premise and add some welcome additional depth.
The core of the novel is the topical subject of genetic manipulation. Should humans tinker with nature?
![Ancestry Ancestry](https://sr.gallerix.ru/C/499685642/787966720.jpg)
Is the quest for profit enough of a reason to fool around with things we don’t fully understand?On the island of Black Manitou, the characters are split into three groups. Firstly, there is a group of scientists who are attempting to create a creature that can be a used as a universal organ donor. Using genetic engineering they are in a race against time to create a new species that will be the genetic ancestor to all human. For the most part they do so with the best of intentions but as I recall isn’t the road to hell paved with them?Next there are a team of ex-military minders. They work for the two brothers that own Genada, Dante and Magnus Paglione.
Each of the team is well described. We get to find out the reasons why each of them has chosen to be there. The highlight for me was a character called Gunner who was writing a ‘vampire romance’ in his spare time.
Finally, there are a small group of maintenance people who look after the buildings on Black Manitou.Of all the characters in the novel there were two that really stood out for me. Clayton Detweiler is rude, crude and, when the action starts, dangerous to know. I loved that in his fifty year career as a janitor he had met everyone from Frank Sinatra to Charlton Heston. He swears and farts like a trooper but is solid and dependable as a rock when the time comes. I also liked the character of Magnus Paglione. He comes across as a borderline sociopath, and when he arrives on the island, the tension cranks up a notch. Along with his brother he has fought his way to the top and is prepared to do absolutely anything to stay there.
His interactions with the ancestor creatures are brilliant as we get to see a predator take on predators.There story has plenty of action going on, and the characters are forced to defend themselves by any means necessary. Not just against the ancestors but also, in some cases, against one another. There is, as I’ve come to expect after reading his earlier work, Sigler’s trademark gruesomeness. I’m glad to say I was not disappointed.There was a nice cinematic quality to the story as it powers along at break neck speed. The trailer for the book surfaced on the internet a few months ago and gives a flavour of what to expect. I’ve been a bit negative of book trailers in the past but this one is actually pretty cool. It gives a good indication of the tone of the novel and serves as a nice visual anchor that helped me get more out of the novel.
'-that last light projected back towards the tower's base, illuminating oncoming death in a morbid spotlight. They came like a tidal wave, a black-and-white tidal wave with a frothing crest of wide-open mouths and long teeth. Oh he wished he could have written that down.that was the shit right there.' Those were Gunther, the book's amateur novelist's dying thoughts.I found this sub-plot or thread in the novel an interesting one.
Gunther, on the security team, writes a trilogy of vampire '-that last light projected back towards the tower's base, illuminating oncoming death in a morbid spotlight. They came like a tidal wave, a black-and-white tidal wave with a frothing crest of wide-open mouths and long teeth.
Oh he wished he could have written that down.that was the shit right there.' Those were Gunther, the book's amateur novelist's dying thoughts.I found this sub-plot or thread in the novel an interesting one. Gunther, on the security team, writes a trilogy of vampire romance novels, which the other characters read and enjoy in spite of their small shame in reading such trashy stuff. There's even a scene where Gunther has a plan to give his books away for free, and the fans will adore them so much that book companies will beg to give him a deal. Clearly, this is a tongue-in-cheek reference to Sigler's own fame.
(Oddly enough, the sociopathic character, Magnus, is highly literate, a chess player, an intellectual snob.)There's also Clayton, an old caretaker of a now abandoned and isolated island that used to be a vacation spot for the rich and famous. He tells 'tall tales' about sleeping with Elizabeth Taylor, hanging out with Kerouac and Elvis, etc. In spite of evidence, pictures found in his home, not even his son seems to believe half of what he says, but putting together all the snippets, there's enough to convince the reader.Put these threads together, and you have a clear statement about authorship and celebrity. They're just people. They're real. They put their pants on one leg at a time, as my Daddy used to say. I believe this has a direct effect on the reader.
It makes the science fiction story seem more real. Sigler has neatly prepared our minds to suspend disbelief. If Clayton can have drinks with Elvis.why not these Ancestor things?
Also, the association of intellectual snobbery with evil is no accident. Rhumkorff, the lead scientist, eventually admits to himself that playing God was a bad idea.the peak of human hubris, to use science to create something NEW.So well done, Mr. Sigler, for being able to laugh a bit at yourself, and while your books may tend to fall under 'brain candy' because of their action/SF/horror plots more than 'high brow,' they certainly don't lack complexity. Monsters ARE real! But they dont live in closets or under your bed they were created by scientists in a lab. DNA combined to create the perfect predator.
The only problem is, thats not what was supposed to happen.Ancestor tells the story of a good idea gone bad TERRIBLY BAD! Although the creatures are the stuff of nightmares and believe me, Ill never look at a cow the same way again the really scary thing is that at its roots, the story is not all science fiction. Lets just hope the genius Monsters ARE real!
But they don’t live in closets or under your bed they were created by scientists in a lab. DNA combined to create the perfect predator. The only problem is, that’s not what was supposed to happen.Ancestor tells the story of a good idea gone bad – TERRIBLY BAD! Although the creatures are the stuff of nightmares – and believe me, I’ll never look at a cow the same way again – the really scary thing is that at its roots, the story is not all science “fiction”. Let’s just hope the genius genetic scientists that are messing with DNA read this book before it’s too late!If you don’t already know, Scott Sigler releases all his books as free podcasts (which you can subscribe to on iTunes). I was lucky enough to hear the original podcast version of Ancestor in its entirety after it was released.
In a way, it was a good thing for me that I was turned on to Scott Sigler later in his career as I was able to listen to the entire podcast at my own pace – breakneck! The story was just that good!And now, Mr. Sigler, or Future Dark Overlord as he’s known to his rabid fans – who call themselves Junkies – has gone and taken the story and made it all that much better. It’s been updated so that some of the minor references and more important technological advances are current for 2010 and it’s sleeker, scarier and more fast-paced than ever before.If you like sci-fi, horror, thrillers, medical dramas, blood and guts and non-stop action then this story is for you. So pre-order it now, and while you’re waiting, I suggest you become a registered Junkie on ScottSigler.com where you can find and listen to Nocturnal (my personal Sigler favorite), Infected, Contagious, Earthcore, The Rookie and all of the other free Sigler content there. And soon you’ll find that you are a Junkie too! This review is for the new hardcover edition of ANCESTOR slated for bookstores in June of 2010.The new hardcover edition of ANCESTOR follows the same plot line as the original.
A group of scientist are charged with creating an animal whose organs can be used for Xenotransplantation. The ultimate goal is to provide organs for the growing list of individuals awaiting organ transplants. To reduce the incident of organ rejections the scientists are trying to create an animal, the Ancestor to all This review is for the new hardcover edition of ANCESTOR slated for bookstores in June of 2010.The new hardcover edition of ANCESTOR follows the same plot line as the original. A group of scientist are charged with creating an animal whose organs can be used for Xenotransplantation.
The ultimate goal is to provide organs for the growing list of individuals awaiting organ transplants. To reduce the incident of organ rejections the scientists are trying to create an animal, the Ancestor to all mammals. In the process of creating this animal, something goes terrible wrong.In the latest version of ANCESTOR, Mr. Sigler has included prior interactions among the main characters that helps the reader to better understand the underlying dynamics that are occurring.
Indeed, I have grown to love some characters that I had no emotional feelings about in the original version of ANCESTOR.Additionally, the science in the new version of ANCESTOR has been upgraded and strengthened to reflect the current scientific knowledge regarding Xenotransplantation and cloning of whole animals which has grown in the past 3 years. Sigler incorporates characters who are altruistic in their desires and those who are only in the process for the greedy, money end of the deal.
The conflict that ensues from these two competing viewpoints is well played out in the book. In my opinion, the plot line is much tighter and the overall general flow of the book is better. Sigler has benefited from his contract with Crown Publishing, their editors and agents.
He is well on his way to being one of the top Science Fiction/Horror writers. This review is for the new edition of 'Ancestor,' due out June 22, 2010. You can pre-order now!I listened to the original podcast of 'Ancestor' some time ago and thoroughly enjoyed it.
This version (June 22, 2010) is even better.The basic premise is that a company has funded a project to create an animal that would be bred for organ transplantation. An 'ancestor' that would avoid the problems of rejection by combining genes from many, many mammalian species - bot halive and extinc.
A fine, This review is for the new edition of 'Ancestor,' due out June 22, 2010. You can pre-order now!I listened to the original podcast of 'Ancestor' some time ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. This version (June 22, 2010) is even better.The basic premise is that a company has funded a project to create an animal that would be bred for organ transplantation. An 'ancestor' that would avoid the problems of rejection by combining genes from many, many mammalian species - bot halive and extinc. A fine, humanitarian mission.
Of course, when you have huge amounts of money on the line add human egos and frailties and put that in a pressure cooker, bad things are sure to happen.The plot is tighter in this version and even though there's plenty of science, it doesn't bog down the action. Once I had a day off, I finished the final two-thirds of the book in one day.Mr. Sigler creates facinating characters and great dialog. He's at the top of his game here. There are villains and monsters and heros - all fully fleshed out so that you can't wait to find out who lives and who meets with (a sometimes grisly) death. No, I won't spoil the suspense, you have to read it for yourselves.If you like action, if you like science fiction, if you like some blood and gore with your stories - Mr. Sigler is your author (and FDO) and the new 'Ancestor' is a must-have.
It was OK, but might have been better with further editing/revision. Predictable and somewhat pretentious, but not bad as escapist reading. Loaded with superfluous simile like poorly selected corpus of quotes. When I'm ill, I'll accept diversionary reading I might otherwise give up on. I did give up on another of the author's books 'Infected'. I feel Scott Sigler may be better at self-promotion than at writing. When I finished I didn't feel ripped off or that I'd completely wasted my time - It was OK, but might have been better with further editing/revision.
Predictable and somewhat pretentious, but not bad as escapist reading. Loaded with superfluous simile like poorly selected corpus of quotes. When I'm ill, I'll accept diversionary reading I might otherwise give up on. I did give up on another of the author's books 'Infected'.
I feel Scott Sigler may be better at self-promotion than at writing. When I finished I didn't feel ripped off or that I'd completely wasted my time - just that it wasn't really very well written. I almost wondered whether the references to a character who wrote stinker romance novels was somewhat self-referential / self-deprecatory humor from the author. Sort of faux Michael Crichton or Crichton wannabe. Read Crichton's earlier novels instead.I downloaded the free audio version.
Had I paid for the book I'd probably have given it two stars (I didn't like it) instead of 3 stars (It was OK). This book is not supposed to be boring, Ancestor is supposed to be a Jurassic Park meets Predator type of read. The premise is promising and it should have been an easy read but there was too many chapters dedicated to unnecessary, punishing dialogue. The Characters are supposedly brilliant intellectuals yet they read like emotionally stunted pre-teens. I wasn't expecting anything profound from reading Ancestor but I was expecting something fast-paced and exciting.
Unfortunately Scott focuses This book is not supposed to be boring, Ancestor is supposed to be a Jurassic Park meets Predator type of read. The premise is promising and it should have been an easy read but there was too many chapters dedicated to unnecessary, punishing dialogue.
The Characters are supposedly brilliant intellectuals yet they read like emotionally stunted pre-teens. I wasn't expecting anything profound from reading Ancestor but I was expecting something fast-paced and exciting. Unfortunately Scott focuses most of his writing on his flat, stereotypical characters and not on the monsters. The real live monsters don't even appear until page 250 (and the real carnage doesn't start until page 300). When I read chocolate books like Ancestor I read them because I want to escape from pathetic, whiny drama stories, sadly until you get to page 250, all Ancestor is is an angsty teenager drama book. Not nearly enough 'ancestor' violence.
This is essentially a monster story with two monsters and a dozen or so uninteresting potential victims. The book focuses too much on the flat victims and the uninteresting second monster instead of the titular monsters.
The first half of the book is a fun slow burn as you await the arrival of the ancestors but when they finally arrive they play second fiddle to a boring, run of the mill human villain. There is also a chunk of the book devoted to federal Not nearly enough 'ancestor' violence. This is essentially a monster story with two monsters and a dozen or so uninteresting potential victims.
The book focuses too much on the flat victims and the uninteresting second monster instead of the titular monsters. The first half of the book is a fun slow burn as you await the arrival of the ancestors but when they finally arrive they play second fiddle to a boring, run of the mill human villain. There is also a chunk of the book devoted to federal agents trying to track these people down, but none of those scenes have any bearing on the finale or really on the book in totality.
They could have been completely omitted with only minor tweaks to the plot without being missed. I really enjoyed Sigler's first two books; this one was a major let down. I love this book. I cannot stress enough how incredibly plausible this storyline is when you get down to the science of it.
Sigler has created a thriller that grips you deep in the primal gut and won't let you go. It's hard to put the book down. The characters are real, either as hateable people you are happy to see die, or likeable people you want to save. There is romance and love without being sappy or corny, and, true to Sigler's MO, there is lots and lots of violence.
I seemed to remember I love this book. I cannot stress enough how incredibly plausible this storyline is when you get down to the science of it. Sigler has created a thriller that grips you deep in the primal gut and won't let you go. It's hard to put the book down. The characters are real, either as hateable people you are happy to see die, or likeable people you want to save.
There is romance and love without being sappy or corny, and, true to Sigler's MO, there is lots and lots of violence. I seemed to remember Magnus as being more of a self-cutting psychopath, but that may have been something that changed between the original podcast novel and this version. If you have even an inkling of interest in biology, evolution, or horrifying possibilities, you must read this book.Oh, and that black and white animal laying on the ground behind those rocks?
It sure as fuck ain't no cow. As a fan of the original version of Ancestor, I was looking forward to reading this new, updated version. It didn't disappoint. This new version shows how much Scott Sigler has improved as a writer since he first released Ancestor as an audio novel, and the original was great! The story is tighter and it's clear he's done quite a bit more research for this release of the story. Ancestor is a thrill ride from the very beginning. I found myself staying up until all hours of the night thinking I As a fan of the original version of Ancestor, I was looking forward to reading this new, updated version.
It didn't disappoint. This new version shows how much Scott Sigler has improved as a writer since he first released Ancestor as an audio novel, and the original was great! The story is tighter and it's clear he's done quite a bit more research for this release of the story.
Ancestor is a thrill ride from the very beginning. I found myself staying up until all hours of the night thinking I would go to sleep when I hit a good point to stop. It never came and the ride didn't let up until the very end. This book is a page-turner; even though I was familiar with the original story, I couldn't put it down! This was a fun book, Sigler is good at creating lovable/hatable characters in a genre that usually consists of cardboard citizens.Apparently Mr. Sigler's books take place in the same universe. I recommend reading his stand-alone books in the order they were written, even though it isn't necessary.The tension built steadily until it was just right, the resulting release was exciting and worth while.Sigler is a heck of a story teller, he recently posted that he will no longer be This was a fun book, Sigler is good at creating lovable/hatable characters in a genre that usually consists of cardboard citizens.Apparently Mr.
Sigler's books take place in the same universe. I recommend reading his stand-alone books in the order they were written, even though it isn't necessary.The tension built steadily until it was just right, the resulting release was exciting and worth while.Sigler is a heck of a story teller, he recently posted that he will no longer be narrating all his books, which is a shame because he's a great narrator.Update: Second listen, still fun. Bioexperimentation, great characters and settings.
Add in some very raw gore and you have a recipe for great fun. Sigler knows how to create tension, and then unleash the jolts with flair. I loved his villains - menacing and brutal, and his good guys had just enough flaws to make them believable, but likeable.Sigler also has unique creature ideas, and the way he blends the science fact with fiction is very well done.My only reservation, and I'm sure its just me because I watch Futurama, was that Bioexperimentation, great characters and settings. Add in some very raw gore and you have a recipe for great fun. Sigler knows how to create tension, and then unleash the jolts with flair. I loved his villains - menacing and brutal, and his good guys had just enough flaws to make them believable, but likeable.Sigler also has unique creature ideas, and the way he blends the science fact with fiction is very well done.My only reservation, and I'm sure its just me because I watch Futurama, was that when he described the creature lifting the 'sail/fin' on its head, i thought of Dr Zoidberg!I've just bought another of his (CONTAGIOUS), and its already looking good!
I got this book as I really like how Scott writes.This was a page turning book with a good underlying story, which yes, would be really easy to turn into a movie, he gives some great mental/visual!and yes, it has its cliche moments. Some unbelievable bits too!but you like or loathe the characters. And I loved Mookie.
She was my hero!I did end up feeling sorry for the 'ancestors' and their mums (not to mention the squirrel)lots of background story, lots of descriptive on how things I got this book as I really like how Scott writes.This was a page turning book with a good underlying story, which yes, would be really easy to turn into a movie, he gives some great mental/visual!and yes, it has its cliche moments. Some unbelievable bits too!but you like or loathe the characters. And I loved Mookie. She was my hero!I did end up feeling sorry for the 'ancestors' and their mums (not to mention the squirrel)lots of background story, lots of descriptive on how things happened etc.an easy read which kept you hooked. The ending either makes you sigh with relief or wanting more.
Me, I want more! Get Scott's free, unabridged weekly audiobook episodes from by subscribing to his podcast.#1 New York Times best-selling author Scott Sigler is the creator of fifteen novels, six novellas and dozens of short stories. He gives away his stories as weekly, serialized, audiobooks, with over 40 million episodes downloaded.Scott launched his career by releasing his novels asGet Scott's free, unabridged weekly audiobook episodes from by subscribing to his podcast.#1 New York Times best-selling author Scott Sigler is the creator of fifteen novels, six novellas and dozens of short stories. He gives away his stories as weekly, serialized, audiobooks, with over 40 million episodes downloaded.Scott launched his career by releasing his novels as author-read podcasts. His rabid fans were so hungry for each week’s episode that they dubbed themselves the “Junkies.” The first hit is always free He is also is a co-founder of Empty Set Entertainment, which publishes his Galactic Football League series. He lives in San Diego, CA, with his wee little dog Reesie.
Both Scott and Reesie are diehard Detroit Lions fans.
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