... Maybe the hype set me up for a letdown, but I don't think the book deserves all the praise it has received. It is not particularly readable. The text is too thick and often superfluous. It is metaphysical, but the metaphysics doesn't lead to any arresting conclusions, or take any unexpected routes. It felt more like random thoughts expressed too wordily. The overall feel is that of a Ecotopia (the couple of are the protagonists friends), plus Brave New World (the power-structures are mildly reminiscent), plus Andromeda Strain (the virus, obviously), plus 12 Monkeys (germs and a bit of horror). Except more turgid and slow-moving than any one of them. I would have given it one-star, but maybe I got set-up by all the praise I read before I bought it, so I'll give it two.