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Germline Audiobook
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(3.04) - 370 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Germline (n): the genetic material contained in a cellular lineage that can be passed to the next generation. Also (slang): secret military program to develop genetically engineered supersoldiers.
One hundred years from now, Russia and the United States are at odds again. This time the war has gone hot. Heavily armored soldiers battle genetically engineered troops hundreds of meters below the icy, mineral-rich mountains of Kazakhstan.
War is Oscar Wendell’s ticket to greatness. A reporter for the Stars and Stripes, he has the only one-way ticket to the front lines. The front smells of blood and fire and death—it smells like a Pulitzer.
But Kaz changes people, and the chaos of war feels a bit too much like home. Hooked on a dangerous cocktail of drugs and adrenaline, Oscar starts down a dark road that he won’t be able to turn back from.
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"Picked this after reading Justin's great review. This was very different kind coming of age story, to say the least. A very bleak, a dark story about very unlikeable war reporter who is drugged out most of the story and who is quite a big asshole. I got feeling at somewhere around halfway mark, that 'why i'm reading about this pulitzer-hound-asshole', but by the end it was really worth it, a very emotional and it made want read more from this McCarthy guy, but no more stories of Oscar Wendell, please :)"
— Markus (4 out of 5 stars)
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“Compelling…Recalling the work of Remarque, Willi Heinrich, and especially Michael Herr, McCarthy’s delirious narrative avoids cliché and raises intriguing questions about what it means to be human.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) -
“Brilliantly written…One of the most compelling science fiction books of the year. Germline is much more than a novel about a futuristic war.”
— Impact magazine -
“Delivers a rapid-fire military SF adventure that explores the relationship between the runaway development of technology and biotech and the long-term consequences that ensue. Fans of military SF and science-based SF will enjoy the unusual setting and vivid battle descriptions.”
— Library Journal
Germline Listener Reviews
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" Set in a science fiction world, Germline is a war story to the bone. Cutting and brutal, no punches are pulled as Oscar Wendell covers the world's latest war. Trying to exorcise some of his demons only leads to the creation of new ones as Oscar charts the course of the war. Gritty and plausible, this book is definitely worth picking up. "
— Jonathan, 2/11/2014 -
" War war and more war,Great read!! "
— Nathan, 1/25/2014 -
" Not terrible but unremittingly grim and doesn't really go anywhere. The book charts the changes wrought in a drug addicted journalist as he proceeds through a moribund campaign in a bizarre near future war. It's billed as military sci fi but that doesn't excuse the dearth of ideas. It could be a lot better "
— Ben, 1/24/2014 -
" Just met the author at Nan Film Festival and he gave me a copy. It was a difficult read (very dark) but incredible. "
— Jennifer, 1/17/2014 -
" A clear and graphic look into a war were the U.S.A is the losing aggressor. "
— Benjamin, 1/16/2014 -
" A bit grim and unrelenting. Could war in the future be anything else? Enjoyed the journey of Scout none the less. "
— James, 7/26/2013 -
" This was a real find. Basic military sci-fi but where the author captures the stresses of war on the soldiers. Will read the others in the series. "
— Robert, 7/21/2013 -
" Not that big a fan of military SF. In many ways it is a good book, but it needs the right audience. "
— Don, 5/29/2013 -
" Had no idea what to expect from this, grabbed it from the library after checking it in one day - very impressed. Not the best written thing in the world, but an absolute ton of emotion in there, and some very cool ideas. Very much looking forward to checking out the others, now. "
— Liam, 3/31/2013 -
" It is a gritty, fast read. Not for everyone, but I enjoyed it. I am curious about the next book in the series. "
— Classyreader, 2/8/2013 -
" Good military scifi book. More of a war novel than anything else that tells the story of a frontline reporter who becomes part of a war that eventually has no meaning other than survival, and a chance at redeeming a lost soul. "
— Benjamin, 11/13/2012 -
" This is quite an unusual book, and I think the author has quite a storytelling gift, but for me it hasn't quite taken off as a story (maybe there's too much violence for a girrrl). I have to take it back to the library, so unless I finish it tonight I won't. "
— Pippa222, 10/8/2012 -
" One of the grimmest books I've ever read but I can't remember the last time I was so captivated by a story. "
— Brandon, 3/5/2012 -
" Pretty good. Not much to say about this one. Kinda repetitive but I still liked it. Took a little bit to get into though. "
— Rob, 10/27/2011 -
" After over a hundred pages I finally gave up on this one. I just couldn't get into it. The premise while interesting was much more of the same...page after page...and I couldn't develop any find of attachment to the main characters. I just couldn't bring myself to care whether he lived or died. "
— Pam, 9/16/2011 -
" Full review to come: fast-paced, gritty, dark, this book really surprised me, especially at the end. "
— Andrew, 8/25/2011 -
" Review forthcoming; an intriguing & intense exploration of a drug-addled reporter in a warzone. "
— Dan, 8/11/2011 -
" Just met the author at Nan Film Festival and he gave me a copy. It was a difficult read (very dark) but incredible. "
— Jennifer, 6/27/2011 -
" was so good read it in one setting :) cant give higher praise than that. "
— Anuj, 6/8/2011
About T. C. McCarthy
T. C. McCarthy is an award–winning and critically acclaimed author and technology development strategist. His short fiction, both literary and genre, has appeared in Per Contra: The International Journal of the Arts, Literature and Ideas, Story Quarterly, Nature, and multiple anthologies. His debut novel Germline won the Compton Crook Award in 2012.
About Donald Corren
Donald Corren is an audiobook narrator and a New York actor with leading credits on and Off-Broadway, as well as numerous television appearances. On Broadway, he costarred with Judy Kaye in the critically acclaimed production of Souvenir, and replaced Harvey Fierstein in the seminal production of Torch Song Trilogy. His Off-Broadway appearances include The Soap Myth, Dietrich & Chevalier, The Last Sunday in June, Stephen Sondheim’s Saturday Night, and the original New York production of Tomfoolery. His television credits include eight seasons as forensic tech Medill on NBC’s Law & Order, as well as his current role as Dr. Kurian on Syfy’s Z Nation.