In The Secret of Life, Paul McAuley pulls off that rare balancing
act of exploring big concepts while telling an absorbing and entertaining story.
It’s 2026, and the Chinese have found microbial life on Mars. Now biotech
companies are scrambling for the gene patents. Microbiologist Mariella Anders
travels to the Martian polar cap and through the counterculture trying to bring
the data to the scientific community. An impassioned plea for freedom of
information, this is hard science fiction at its best. Published by Voyager,
£16.99, ISBN 0002259044.
To continue reading, today with our introductory offers
Advertisement
More from Â鶹´«Ã½
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Space
What to read this week: Emma Chapman's mind-expanding Radio Universe
Culture
Technology
Â鶹´«Ã½ recommends Jamie Bartlett's insightful How to Talk to AI
Culture
Technology
Two excellent new sci-fi novels tackle robots in very different ways
Culture
Life
What to read this week: Beyond Inheritance by Roxanne Khamsi
Culture
Popular articles
Trending Â鶹´«Ã½ articles
1
Are Neanderthals descendants of modern humans?
2
Hospital-acquired pneumonia reduced by daily toothbrushing
3
Why is it so hard to change your mind?
4
Surprising male G-spot found in most detailed study of the penis yet
5
The biggest threat to Chernobyl is no longer radiation
6
From autism to migraines, birth order may have wide-reaching effects
7
Neanderthal infants were enormous compared with modern humans
8
We may have just glimpsed the universe's first stars
9
Professor Daisy Fancourt on the life-changing power of the arts
10
Collapse of key ocean current may release billions of tonnes of carbon
