I am not a huge fan of science fiction but I do enjoy post-apocalyptic story lines. So the overview, reviews, and book jacket sold me that this work from Herbert could be an interesting and entertaining romp. And indeed, it did start out that way with an engaging setup for the book involving the IRA, a scientist and his family, and the question of terrorism which unfortunately remains an important part of our lives. However, the book soon devolved into one part Crichton pseudo science, one part religious/moral debate, and one small part action and entertainment. Not that any of these ingredients are bad - it is just that they are poorly executed and the flow of the book is brutally challenging. I stuck with it hoping it would pick up and that my efforts would pay off. Unfortunately, my stubbornness would not allow me to give up and by the end I remained unrewarded.