Blood Music

"I think this is the most scientifically based of the five stories that I’ve picked. It’s very much in the tradition of Frankenstein , in that some of the book is taken up with the story of a scientist who’s pushing the boundaries of morality and experimenting with using the body in new and strange ways, but this time on a cellular level. The first third of the book is connected to his journey. Then, we witness the effects of what he has unleashed and the way humanity is changed by what he’s done. I wouldn’t want to spoil it by giving too much away, but I remember reading it and being so fascinated by this vision of complete change for humanity and for the planet. It goes to some very surprising places. The book was released in 1985, and we’re dealing with a scientist who’s working on the cusp of areas of exploration at that time. When Frankenstein was released, galvanism and the exploration of electricity through the body were at the forefront of experimentation. I wonder if Greg Bear was dealing with an area of cellular exploration that was popular at the time. He expands on themes of ‘what’s at the boundary of modern science understanding, and what could that lead to?’ Similarly, at the moment, we’re seeing some brilliant science fiction being written that addresses climate change . Quite often, whatever we feel is at the vanguard of what we’re trying to understand or deal with, as a problem or as an area of exploration, bleeds into the science fiction that’s being written."