Darwin's Blade (49 page)

 

 

 

 

“
A LITERARY THRILLER LIKE NO OTHER
.…​The pace of this novel speeds along like the lead car of the Indy 500.…
Darwin's Blade
exemplifies Simmons's skill at delivering novels that are different from anything else in the market today, while still managing to tell a hard-charging, edge-of-the-seat tale.”

—Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

“
SPELLBINDING…A GRIPPING SUSPENSE THRILLER
.…​A breezy writing style, rollicking humor, and ingenious descriptions of weird accidents make this action-packed thriller a real winner.”

—Publishers Weekly
(starred review)

“
ALTERNATELY HILARIOUS AND SUSPENSEFUL
.…​Simmons is not one to disappoint.…His readers already know that he will keep them on the edges of their seats; that his gift for descriptive writing will make them feel as if they are right there, and that he will make them feel as if they are old friends (or enemies) with his characters. This time, though, they may be surprised to find themselves laughing out loud while reading this tale.…Another tasty treat from Mr. Simmons. Savor it.”

—Rocky Mountain News

“
HARROWING
.…Not since J. G. Ballard's
Crash
have automobile wrecks been so compelling.…Simmons throws a light on a whole new murky subculture for thriller fans.…He has mastered whatever genre he's chosen to write in.…With a simple, unadorned style backed up by massive amounts of research, intricate plotting, and well-rounded characters, he isn't hemmed in by formulas.”

—San Antonio Express-News

“
THIS IS AN EXCITING NOVEL
, full of shootouts, computer-aided investigations, duplicity, and humor. The humor…is the black kind, common to cops, reporters, and accident investigators—where you laugh to keep from crying.”

—Houston Chronicle

“
A SMART, WELL-RESEARCHED THRILLER
.”

—Kirkus Reviews

“
A BORN STORYTELLER
.…Simmons has over the last decade repeatedly shown himself to be one of the most versatile, intelligent, and unpredictable novelists around.”

—Locus

“
ONE OF AMERICA'S FINEST WRITERS
.…Dan Simmons is, in many ways, the reincarnation of Robert Louis Stevenson.”

—Des Moines Sunday Register

“
A HIGH-TECH, HIGH-VOLTAGE ACTION THRILLER
. Offering an appealing hero and heroine, deadly villains, zippy dialogue, and high-tech weaponry and expertise, this is, most of all, a hair-raising adventure to satisfy the most discriminating reader.”

—Library Journal

“
IF DONALD WESTLAKE, JOHN IRVING AND ROBERT PARKER
had sat down to collaborate on a novel,
Darwin's Blade
would have been the aftermath.…Simmons manages to juggle tragedy and comedy with uncommon skill.…This off-beat thriller will have readers wondering whether to laugh or cry in their headlong rush to see how it all ends.”

—Denver Post

“
A STRONG, THOROUGHLY INTELLIGENT NOVEL
—welcome relief from thrillers that offer nothing more than action scenes strung together.…Don't be surprised if you come away from this book with what might appear to be an unhealthy interest in accidents.”

—Booklist

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Title Page
Welcome
Dedication
Epigraph
1. “A Is for Hole”
2. “B Is for Bud”
3. “C Is for Careering”
4. “D Is for Dickweed”
5. “E Is for Ticket”
6. “F Is for Foreperson”
7. “G Is for Whiz”
8. “H Is for Preparation”
9. “I Is for Witness”
10. “J Is for Jorgé”
11. “K Is for Strike Out”
12. “L Is for Long Shot”
13. “M Is for Mist”
14. “N Is for Los Niños”
15. “O Is for Organizatsiya”
16. “P Is for Pertinence”
17. “Q Is for Quagmire”
18. “R Is for Recon”
19. “S Is for Satchelbiggie”
20. “T Is for Sympathy”
21. “U Is for Updraft”
22. “V Is for Vincible”
23. “W Is for Wait”
24. “X Is for Terminate”
25. “Y Is for Yaponchik”
26. “Z Is for Zoological”
Acknowledgments
About the Author
A Preview of
The Abominable
Books by Dan Simmons
Praise for Dan Simmons and
Darwin's Blade
Newsletters
Copyright