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James Bannon's utterly imaginative tale transports the listener to shocking, incredibly mind-warping situations: the terminally-ill scientist Dr. Edward Frame is an anti-hero for the new age, whose consciousness is "downloaded" into the brain of an innocent unborn child-- a baby whom he himself had fathered. (Let that sink in for a moment!) Bannon masterfully structures a cautionary tale with fascinating overtones of philosophy, bioethics, horror and romance. It's an epic tale that is one part Frankenstein, another part Brave New World. Dr. Frame is relentless throughout his personal mission that is tender, romantic, deranged and obsessed. One shudders at the thought of the impact of such technology if it were unleashed upon the world. The writer takes you there, and the results are sublimely captivating, if not squirmingly uncomfortable at times. Of course, maximum enjoyment of the book requires some early suspension of disbelief, but the writer's deft description of the science and technology is enough to make the stretch a plausible, if not terrifying, peek into the near future.

I have been waiting for this to come out on audio and it was well worth the wait. The philosophical and ethical questions raised by the advancements in modern science have exploded like fireworks in Bannon's brilliant story. I was expecting to guess the way forward as I do with many fictional works, but this fearless author took the darker, more unexpected, realistic and humanistic path that so many authors shy away from. I dare to say that I could sense the animal within the man within the child that is portrayed as both our hero and our villain. The author echoes the scientific writing prowess of Chrichton and the sinister darkness of King and I would be elated to find him publishing something in the future. The biggest shock among all of the questions posed in this read is concerning the nature and depths of true love in all of its glories and perversions. Bravo Bannon.