“Bova gets better and better, combining plausible science with increasingly complex fiction.” Los Angeles Daily News
The Immortality Factor
Stefan Rudnicki (Narrator), Paul Boehmer (Narrator), Holly Hawkins (Narrator)...(+more)
08-01-11
17hrs 3min
In this provocative, gripping, and startling novel, bestselling author Ben Bova delivers a knockout read with his trademark blend of cutting-edge science and unrelenting suspense.
Some see stem-cell research as mankind’s greatest scientific breakthrough; others, a blasphemous attempt to play God. Suddenly, the possibility of immortality exists. Two brothers, both doctors, stand on opposite sides of the controversy. To Arthur Marshak, his work is a momentous gift to humanity. To Jesse Marshak, it is a curse. And between them stands a beautiful, remarkable woman that both brothers will do anything to save.
Somehow, before it’s too late, Arthur and Jesse must bridge the gap that divides them…on an issue that could mean nothing less than life or death for millions.
“Bova gets better and better, combining plausible science with increasingly complex fiction.” Los Angeles Daily News
“Led by the bass tones of Paul Boehmer, the production includes emotional performances from all the members of the cast. The result is lifelike drama that fully engages listeners in the debate.” AudioFile
“Bova’s cautionary medical thriller, the uncut version of his 1996 novel Brothers, explores the political, social, and religious ramifications of what could be humankind’s greatest medical breakthrough—organ regeneration.” Publishers Weekly
“[This] novel engages both mind and emotion…Bova masterfully presents the subtleties of all sides of both personal and scientific issues in a movie-like presentation of court testimony interspersed with chapters of backstory. Guaranteed riveting reading.” Booklist
Given Bova’s extensive catalog of science fiction and nonfiction, there are perhaps few better qualified to address the complex issues surrounding today’s controversial scientific breakthroughs. Toss the convoluted relationship of two brothers into a mix of cutting-edge science versus medicine for the masses, and his new novel engages both mind and emotion. Brilliant corporate researcher Arthur Marshak is on the cusp of an earth-shattering discovery that will cause the regeneration of damaged or severed tissue—organs and even limbs—so that amputees and people with cervical injuries, heart attacks, and strokes may fully recover without surgery. Jesse, Arthur’s younger, humanitarian physician brother, opposes Arthur’s breakthrough, however, because its hefty price tag will preclude using it to treat the poor. When Arthur’s project is evaluated in a “scientific court,” it draws national attention, thanks to an opportunistic evangelist, and pits brother against brother and science against religious ideology. Bova masterfully presents the subtleties of all sides of both personal and scientific issues in a movie-like presentation of court testimony interspersed with chapters of backstory. Guaranteed riveting reading. Booklist
Language | English |
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Release Day | Jul 31, 2011 |
Release Date | August 1, 2011 |
Release Date Machine | 1312156800 |
Imprint | Blackstone Publishing |
Provider | Blackstone Publishing |
Categories | Literature & Fiction, Genre Fiction, Medical, Fiction - All, Fiction - Adult |
Overview
In this provocative, gripping, and startling novel, bestselling author Ben Bova delivers a knockout read with his trademark blend of cutting-edge science and unrelenting suspense.
Some see stem-cell research as mankind’s greatest scientific breakthrough; others, a blasphemous attempt to play God. Suddenly, the possibility of immortality exists. Two brothers, both doctors, stand on opposite sides of the controversy. To Arthur Marshak, his work is a momentous gift to humanity. To Jesse Marshak, it is a curse. And between them stands a beautiful, remarkable woman that both brothers will do anything to save.
Somehow, before it’s too late, Arthur and Jesse must bridge the gap that divides them…on an issue that could mean nothing less than life or death for millions.