Through financial circumstances I am only very familiar with, three university students (Steven, his girlfriend Eli and their friend Bennie) share a farmhouse owned by the family of one of them. Even with this money saving arrangement they still find themselves short on cash and so look to methods of making themselves some quick cash.

Despite his initial snootiness about the idea, Steven decides to help fellow student Bennie in creating a new artificial personality, an electronic "toy" that can be used as a teaching aid or a companion. Steven's condition though is that he could bring in many more realistic and detailed characteristics, and use his knowledge of the biological rather than Bennie's knowledge of the technological to shape the development of the program. He wants to make this more than the simple children's toys he sees Bennie's previous designs as.

However he sees this as a chance to go even further and investigate the processes that would lead to the creation of whole new forms of life.

This leads to the other side and other time frame of this novel – the courtroom case that follows once knowledge of his work is made public. But by the time he is discovered his work has evolved beyond their initial expectations and looks as though it could have a major effect on the world as a whole.

Okay in many ways this is a steady paced novel. It's not the kind of book where each chapter ends with a shock. It's much more measured than that. This is a book that examines the responsibility of the scientist and the effect of scientific invention if not managed within a controlled environment.

But that said this does not have the feeling of an anti-science book. It may warn of the problems that such development could lead to but not in a way that vilifies science. This is most definitely a good thing as I am a great fan of science and crusading against the whole of the development of knowledge will certainly cause me to turn away.

It also a book that takes place on a very small stage, with the majority of the action occurring in either Steven's farm or in the courtroom, and with a very small cast. This has the effect of making this quite an intimate feel, you have the time to get to know the three main players well, to understand their actions and feel with them.

As books go this one has much to merit it. This shows that the author knows his strengths and writes to them. This is not a book to make all-star lists, but it is a book that shows this author has promise.

Synopsis
Three graduate students' lives and ambitions collide in this near-future drama where experiments in genetics and computer intelligence converge, leading to courtroom confrontations and to an evolutionary leap that may redefine humanity.