Architects of Emortality
Brian StablefordThe futuristic biotech world of Stableford's acclaimed SF novella Les Fleurs du Mal (The Flowers of Evil), expanded upon in
last year's novel Inherit the Earth, provides the foundation for this sequel. After an ecological collapse brought on by
biological warfare and a runaway greenhouse effect, nanotechnology is regrowing lost forests as well as offering near-
immortality to those who can afford it. Although the United Nations calls itself a World Government, the true power rests
with the MegaMall, a company produced by generations of multinational mergers and buyouts. On this cusp of a new world,
someone is murdering the pioneering scientists of the New Human Race, and it's up to Detective Sgt. Charlotte Holmes and
Inspector Hal Watson, of the U.N. Police, to stop the killing. Charlotte and Hal are assisted by Michael Lowenthal, a
"special investigator" from the MegaMall, and Oscar Wilde, a legendary bioengineer of specialty flowers. Evidence indicates
that the murderer, a mysterious young woman, is somehow related to a genetic engineer who calls himself Rappaccini (after a
character in a Hawthorne story). As the team investigates the murders, they realize that Rappaccini's taut game of hide-
and-seek is leading them to the truth behind a much darker secret. Stableford's skill at creating technologically
overwhelmed future worlds is evident here. His narrative teems with vivid, believable descriptions of man-eating flowers,
hundred-year-old artists and rampant genetic engineering. His talent for mystery is less sure, featuring characters whose
roles blur unconvincingly as the plot picks up speed. Although the novel's ending is weakened by premature revelations of
Rappaccini's motives, the scale and audacity of Stableford's vision is a wonder.