Sep 26, 2017

First Chapter: The Genius Plague by David Walton

First Chapter, First Paragraph is a weekly meme hosted by Bibliophile By the Sea on Tuesdays. Join in by sharing the first paragraph of a book you are reading or plan to read, and linking up on the website.

The Genius Plague by David Walton, publication October 3, 2017 by Pyr
Genre: novel, fantasy, sci-fi
First paragraph:
Prologue
Paul Johns hadn't seen another human being in six days.
He emerged from the Amazon rainforest, tired and sore, but exhilarated, the sudden brightness bringing a smile to his face. The river sparkled, a vast body of water several kilometers across, even this far from its mouth.  
Ahead stood a riverboat station, little more than a few rotting benches and a sign propped against an ancient wooden dock. The sign listed the boat pickup schedule, in Portuguese, Spanish, and English, the words faded and water stained. A dozen or more tourists sat on the benches or milled around nearby, waiting for the boat. Seeing them felt like spotting a rare animal in the brush. Paul's first instinct was to approach quietly, lest he startle them away.
Book description:
In the Amazon jungle, a disease is spreading. To those who survive, it grants enhanced communication, memory, and pattern recognition. But the miracle may be the sinister survival mechanism of a fungal organism, manipulating the infected into serving it.
Paul Johns, a mycologist, is convinced the fungal host is the next stage of human evolution, while his brother Neil, an analyst at the NSA, is committed to its destruction. (publisher)

Based on the beginning and the description, would you keep reading?

12 comments:

  1. Ooh, this one sounds intense and frightening. Thanks for sharing, and for visiting my blog.

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    1. I like the setting, my armchair traveling sense tells me I'd like to go on this trip.

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    2. Sounds like an intriguing story.

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    3. I like the writing too, Yvonne.

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  2. Hum, I'd have to read a bit more to be sure, but it could have potential.

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  3. This sounds like an interesting adventure. I'd keep reading.

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  4. This sounds exciting--I'd read more!

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    1. This is a great book for sci=fi and fantasy readers, Suko!

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  5. The rainforest image interests me, so I'd read more. Thanks for posting this week.

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I appreciate your comments and thoughts...

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