[Review] Blood Music by Greg Bear

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Title: Blood Music
Author: Greg Bear
Genre: sci-fi
Content Warnings: body horror

Blood Music explores the quiet, almost dreamlike apocalyptic results of an experiment in genetic engineering gone awry: Vergil I. Ulam, in a panicked and exceedingly rash action, injects himself with blood cells engineered to be "intelligent" in order to attempt to save his research, heedless of the danger to himself and others.

At times haunting and horrific, and at others a slow meditation on individuality and the nature of reality itself, Blood Music creates one of the more interesting apocalypses I've seen, with Bear managing to balance perfectly both the grotesque and the seductive aspects of the "Frankenstein's monster" at the center of his novel.

( review continues; some mild spoilers )

Overall, it was a very engaging and interesting read, possibly a little dated in terms of the science (it was published in 1985), but I'd honestly recommend it solely based on the descriptions of the changing landscape. I do feel that if you liked Annihilation, this one will be similarly up your alley.