The first of these is Plague Year by Jeff Carlson. If you’ve read Prey by Michael Crichton, Plague Year is it’s natural follow-up, yet darker and smarter. A relatively short, dense read; Plague Year picks up a few years after the accidental release of the “machine plague”, a manufactured nano-virus that disassembles the human body and uses it’s components to replicate itself. Smart and engaging, it will make you think twice about mixing biology and nanotechnology.

Next on the list is Germ by Robert Liparulo. While the author’s voice leans towards the formulaic, the story is anything but. The BBEG has manufactured Ebola that targets an individual’s DNA. The virus piggybacks on the common cold as it’s distribution mechanism.

The primary characters are well-conceived and well-executed. Our heroes are hunted by a very unique agent of the BBEG, which makes the chase interesting and intriguing to follow. Aside from the formulaic structure, the major drawback with the story is an unnecessary dip into a bit of trite conspiracy theory. Still, the core premise makes it worth the read.

Last, and anything but least, is The Swarm by Frank Schatzing. I haven’t finished reading it yet but, barring an implosion in the last 300 pages, I am fairly certain this is the best novel I’ve read in five years. Here is the setup:

Whales begin sinking ships. Toxic, eyeless crabs poison Long Island’s water supply. The North Sea shelf collapses, killing thousands in Europe. Around the world, countries are beginning to feel the effects of the ocean’s revenge as the seas and their inhabitants begin a violent revolution against mankind. At stake is the survival of the Earth’s fragile ecology — and ultimately, the survival of the human race itself.

I won’t say any more about the plot because I don’t want to ruin it for anyone. Instead, I’ll tell you that The Swarm is to our oceans what Snow Crash (Neal Stephenson) was to cyberspace. Yes. I just said that. Let it soak in.

The Swarm is a treatise on ocean ecology disguised as a thriller novel. Schatzing includes a three-page forward which cites all of the scientists who educated him and helped create the scientific firmament on which this outstanding novel is built. After reading this book, you will come away with a much better understanding of how dependent humanity is on our oceans. And, along the way you will be greatly entertained by an intense, well-crafted and well-paced story.

Peace,

Doug

I alos took the opportunity to clean up some anoying layout issues with my base theme. Once I get back from bootcamp next week, look for more improvements.

- DD

But for all of his journalistic accomplishments, perhaps Russert’s greatest contributions were his books on fatherhood. Heartfelt and unflinching, Russert gave us a great example of how to be both tough and tender as a father. New fathers, young and old, without a Big Russ of their own, would do well to pick up Big Russ & Me and Wisdom of our Fathers. I am fortunate to have my own “Big Russ” in my father Richard, so much of Russert’s words echo with my own experience.

So on this Father’s Day Weekend, hug your fathers and sons. Then, as this election year unfolds, make it a point to be an informed, active citizen and vote. These actions would seem a most fitting tribute to Tim Russert; a national treasure taken from us far too soon.

Meetup organizers should still use their Meetup group to schedule meetings and recruit members, but this new site is a place we can all work together work and share information between meetings.

Enjoy!

Doug Daulton
Founder, LVMG.org

PS: Membership is now and always will be free! And you need not join LV Pixel Corps to be a member.

Next up, I’ll update my resume and client list. Then, I plan to start posting some content that details former projects. New stuff remains hush hush for the moment. So, you’ll just have to wait and see.

In the meantime, check out some photos from my Flickr stream!

Peace,

Doug

Well, it is a work in progress. I guess it is a good thing I am not actively looking for a gig at the moment.

Rest assured, all will be rectified shortly. As for the theme, I am using the very cool Revolution themes. While my CSS-fu is strong, I have a newborn at home and am finding time to tweak the theme as I can. On the plus side, I have a pretty kick-ass “About” page.

In any case, stay tuned. It will all be worth the wait.

Doug

After a long hiatus, I have relaunched my website. In the past, the site hosted my stream-of-consciousness blog, which I have since moved to apakuni.com. From here forward, this site will function primarily as my professional web presence. Look for news of past, current and future projects executed in the various media in which I work.

Thanks,

Doug Daulton