Carbon Dreams

Susan Gaines's Carbon Dreams is the best science novel I've ever read. The characters, the intense excitement as a major discovery unfolds, the comradery, the jealousies and cutthroat infighting brought back memories fond and not so fond of my 38 years as a chemistry prof. The sacrifices her major character has to make for the sake of her career are heart-breaking and, unfortunately, rather realistic--science is still not very kind to women in America. Often when I read novels involving science I must suspend disbelief and overlook major flaws in the author's understanding of science. Not so here--Gaines's science is impeccable. This is particularly remarkable when one considers the breadth and richness of the scientific tapestry she weaves.The conflict between basic research and applied technology and the ethical questions this raises at the practical level are handled realistically and brilliantly. If you want to get a feeling for how science works, this book is a good place to start.

As a woman receiving her doctorate in geochemistry this year, I have to say this is the absolute best portrayal of how science works in the real world that I've read. Ms. Gaines is wonderfulat communicating the passion, enthusiasm and obsession that comewith stretching the limits of the known. She also accurately presents how funding can subtlely shape what science gets doneand some of the difficult choices women face in higher academia. I'd like to believe the possibilities for women are not as limited as are presented here, but I think in the early '80s it's an accurate portrayal. She also presents how self-centered and emotionally stunted scientists can be. A difficult book, but I liked this book so well I bought two copies (on my very limited student stipend) for fellow female graduate student friends of mine.This would also be wonderful discussion book for book clubs.

While I believe that women will find this novel more to their liking than most men, I don't consider that a failing, but rather a choice by the author/publisher. Rather, I should say, it will be compelling reading for women who understand the dilemma of having to choose between traditional romantic life and a demanding and absorbing career. Gaines does a good job of weaving together the difficulties inherent in both parts of life, and especially excels at descriptions of scientific procedure and theoretical pondering, while keeping the pace lively and engaging. This is a masterful first novel, especially considering its rather ambitious scope. My only criticisms are that some of the scientific descriptions are repetitious rather than illuminating (extensive diagrams would have been interesting) and I felt that the main character was a bit too ambivalent about her resolutions and the author allowed that ambivalence to carry too much weight at the end of the novel. Still, this is a trivial criticism considering the accomplishment of the novel as a whole and its unique and interesting view of a world that we rarely see. I liked it so much I bought three additional copies and sent them to friends who are scientists. I recommend it highly.

Carbon Dreams is a book about the compelling pleasures of scientific creativity. Set in the early 1980s, it addresses the intense experience of having data that a scientist is curious about and can't let go of become an important part of a major scientific debate. I'll leave the debate unnamed. It's great fun to see the connection reveal itself as the book progresses. The science is interesting and well presented-a history major like me had no trouble understanding it. Gaines does not ignore the politics in the scientific world. The plot includes feminist and environmental issues and pressures from competing theorists. Nor does she ignore the personal cost of having one's primary dedication be to science rather than relationships. This is a book for people interested in how science works on a human level. It's also an excellent choice for a book club-lots of meaty ideas to talk about. I look forward to reading Gaines's next book.

I've been thoroughly addicted to Ms. Gaines' short stories for years, so when this novel appeared, I bought it and settled in for a good read. I was NOT disappointed! As I entered Tina's world, I experienced her passion for the beauty in the smallest forms of life. What has been the subject of dry lectures by countless high school science teachers, become a matter of faith and joy. The search for the very beginnings of life unimaginable years ago, become in this novel, tantalizing close and personal, a mystery to be solved.Tina's character is well drawn and developed, and while she might have been unattainable by virtue of her years of education, she is heart-achingly human. Her struggles in the heady upper echelons of a male-dominated field, her determination in maintaining her innocence and idealism in a world fraught with messy ambiguities, and her search for love while stubbornly refusing to admit that she needs it, all make her a person I feel I know and love.The novel has an edge of intrigue and the exotic, with entrée into the world of lab coats and core samples and research ships, as well as glimpses into Tina's South American heritage - a world of fine social graces and passion. The exotic is offset with a familiar, homey feel of the Northern California coast seen through the eyes of a native who came to age in a time of pure idealism and social unrest.I highly recommend this novel to connoisseurs of literary fiction - don't be scared off by SCIENCE; you'll miss out on a wonderful book! Lovers of science, particularly young women who might be considering a career in research, will appreciate having a heroine and a role model. And for those who, like me are completely torn, never quite happy in either a world of pure science or pure art, will realize that magical blend of both in this work.P.S. I can't wait for Susan M. Gaines' second novel!