Ancestor: A Novel

Scott Sigler

Jun 2010 · Sold by Crown

About this ebook

“The ancestors are out there…you have to believe me.”

From acclaimed author Scott Sigler—New York Times bestselling creator of Infected and Contagious—comes a tale of genetic experimentation’s worst nightmare come true.
 
Every five minutes, a transplant candidate dies while waiting for a heart, a liver, a kidney.  Imagine a technology that could provide those life-saving transplant organs for a nominal fee ... and imagine what a company would do to get a monopoly on that technology.
 
On a remote island in the Canadian Arctic, PJ Colding leads a group of geneticists who have discovered this holy grail of medicine. By reverse-engineering the genomes of thousands of mammals, Colding's team has dialed back the evolutionary clock to re-create humankind’s common ancestor. The method? Illegal. The result? A computer-engineered living creature, an animal whose organs can be implanted in any person, and with no chance of transplant rejection.
 
There's just one problem: these ancestors are not the docile herd animals that Colding's team envisioned. Instead, Colding’s work has given birth to something big, something evil.
 
With these killer creatures on the prowl, Colding and the woman he loves must fight to survive — even as government agents close in to shut the project down, and the deep-pocketed company backing this research proves to have its own cold-blooded agenda.  
 
As the creators become the prey in the ultimate battle for survival, Scott Sigler takes readers on the ultimate thrill-ride—and offers a chilling cautionary account of what can happen when hubris, greed, and madness drive scientific experimentation past the brink of reason.

Ratings and reviews

I am amazed and wowed again by another one of Sigler’s books. This one will definitely be on my favorites list. Not only did it have a perfect blend of science, horror, and action, but it was well written and it definitely grabbed my attention from the very start of the book. I really liked how there was a buildup of suspense throughout the first parts of the novel. Obviously, something didn’t seem right from the start but the suspense was very well done and everything just exploded (literally and figuratively). The science used in the book was a little more complex than the usual novels I’ve read that are science fiction. Yet what I like about the writing style is, although complex, Sigler provides enough information so you won’t feel confused, or easily intimidated with all the scientific terms. The subject matter (harvesting organs) is also very interesting and may come across as a really good idea although there’s lots of violation of moral and ethical codes that go along with it. The scientific idea may or may not seem possible, but it’s such a fascinating yet horrific idea. I absolutely loved the characters in this book. The villains in it are extremely nasty, brutal, and people you just don’t want to be near to or mess with. Especially Magnus. Nasty bugger. Yet so well written that he could very well go as most nastiest villain I have ever read in a book. Naturally though, one of my favorites would be Sara. She’s tough, and not about to back down from a fight but I liked her personality too. She had her girly moments too. Then there’s Mookie the dog. Whoever thought a character with a minimal role in the book would come out looking like such a grand hero? I was cheering for Mookie all the way! Colding, being the main character of the book is all right. I didn’t like him, but I didn’t hate him either. Although at first I thought he was just some sort of whimpy scientist. Eventually he did manage to grow on me though. A little. I also liked the little “poke” at the Twilight series. Although I haven’t read that series (yet), I thought it was a small jab, but nothing too offensive (well, maybe for some people?) yet entertaining and funny nevertheless. This book does contain a lot of graphic gore and violence so it may not be for everyone. However I do urge first time readers to seriously pick this one up. It’s a got a perfect blend of comedy, action, horror, and a bit of romance. There’s definitely going to be a sequel for this one (though I’m not sure about the release date) I really do recommend this book to all readers out there. Whether they’re into science fiction, or horror, or both. It’s definitely worth the read. The reader will be in for a fast paced book, filled with explosions, mutated monsters, dastardly villains, and a dog hero. What more could you ask for?

I love stories. Sigler is one of the best story tellers ever. I usually don't go for lots of folks dying but with Sigler it's different. He writes like an action movie. I see it all before my eyes. I laugh at the characters' hilarious lines. I LOVE Scott's sense of humor. It isn't supposed to be real, it's supposed to be horror. Those of us who give him a 5-star rating are doing it because we love HIM, his writing, his voice (literally, his podcasts and figuratively, as a writer). I live on the opposite cost and WISH I could meet him. Nope, I'm not family, I'm a fan of the FDO. It's contagious...

And now time for another one of Scott's novels!

About the author

SCOTT SIGLER is a popular podcaster and the New York Times bestselling author of Contagious and Infected.  He lives in San Francisco with his wife and their dog.