Darkome (book 1) by Hannu Rajaniemi (book review).
The year is 2038, and the Darkome of the book title refers to a place where illegal genetic manipulation is carried out. The focus isn’t always on harm, but rather on finding treatments for cancers that are too uncommon for major pharmaceutical companies like Aspis to focus on.
Inara Reyes and his late mother, Manuela, have a rare cancer, and they couldn’t prevent her death. His father finally convinces him to try a new treatment by one of the pharmaceutical companies to put his cancer in check, but it also means he has to leave Darkome.
Now, in the above paragraph, when I originally wrote it, I thought Inara was male and believed to leave it like that in the edit to note my confusion. There was no real proof until page 104, a third of the way through, that Inara was actually a female. She just read as male. This may also be attributed to her unusual forename, but even in the near future, one could assume it’s a futuristic name. She occasionally uses the name ‘Heffalump’ to refer to her cancer. Despite my lack of understanding, I didn’t make any assumptions about her description until she explicitly stated it. I was unaware that she was referring to a cancer lump, especially since her description implied that the cancer was likely to spread throughout her body, without any indication of a single mass. Consequently, I just read without comment. The basic plot revolves around Inara’s search for a cure and her estrangement from her father, who enrolled her in an Aspis treatment under surveillance. You’re not sure who the enemy is until towards the end of the book.
Author Hannu Rajaniemi writes this story in the first person, and while she is adept at providing information from her point of view, her ability to convey the complete picture may be limited. There is some Internet usage, but it is limited to the use of Wikipedia only. I’ve been critiquing the lack of integration of the Internet into our work, although Rajaniemi does incorporate it. Inara and others use devices called Eyes, essentially glasses with digital links. In reality, there has been some work done in this field, but we’ve tended to dismiss it mostly because it makes things like walking difficult when you’re distracted or how eye contact can be firm enough to pick a topic. Presumably, that’s been sorted out here.
I do think his knowledge of biochemistry is going to catch some SF readers off-guard. I understood most of it, but I have a background in science, so I’m not intimidated by lab tools. Even so, I would question any hygiene or cross-contamination in these home labs, especially when you’re playing with minute genetic strands. There are also limb gadgets, named after their manufacturer, Apsis, that regulate drugs into their wearers. Although users get regular deliveries of drug updates, I do wonder how minute amounts can make so much difference.
At the back of the book, Rajaniemi acknowledges a lot of help with the research for this book, but, when you think about it, there are flaws that are glossed over to move the story alone. The actual villain of the piece doesn’t really make much of an appearance until the end of the book, so this first volume is essentially a build-up.
I had to pause as I read over my review, reflecting on the science presented in the book. My comments about science hygiene made me think Rajaniemi might have caught the knowledge source but has no lab experience and how fragile this science is. It’s not the sort of thing you could put in a bag and run away with, even in the future. We had this sort of problem with William Gibson’s cyberpunk novels; computer science was never like this. I have a feeling Genepunk is likely to work the same way. Read with caution; do not use test tubes.
GF Willmetts
September 2024
(pub: Gollancz. 245 page enlarged paperback. Price: £18.99 (UK). ISBN: 978-1-4732-0332-7)
check out websites: www.orionbooks.co.uk and www.gollancz.com
