Darwin's Blade

The only reason why I read this book is because a character from my favorite Dan Simmons book, “Summer of Night,” comes out in it.

I must say, I'm stunned at the volume of negative reviews of this book posted here. I, too, am a huge Dan Simmons fan, and I think this is the best book he's ever written.First off, Darwin Minor is a great character. Practically emotionally shut down by horrific events in his past (which I won't reveal for those of you who plan to read the book), he has found a measure of comfort in the writings of Marcus Aurelius, the second century Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher. One could do worse. For me, it's refreshing to see a modern hero whose life is built on SOME foundation (even if, as a Christian, I think its a wrong one), rather than the typical post-modern alienated protagonist who has no access to any tradition.Second, this is a very funny book. I found myself laughing out loud in a number of spots. Like Jonathan Franzen said in a recent interview, I don't trust a writer who isn't funny. Simmons' depiction of antagonist Dallas Trace, a thinly disguised representation of noted legal blowhard Gerry Spence, besides being hilarious, makes me want to be sure I never get on Simmons' bad side.Third, Sydney Olson, the female lead, is also a terrific character. Tough, intellegent, beautiful--and, here's the real kicker--believable. A modern woman, but not hide-bound by feminist claptrap. Yes, perhaps larger-than-life, but isn't that what we want in our heroes and heroines?Fourth sprinkled throughout are a number of wonderful minor characters, especially W.W.D. DuBois, the brilliant and sardonic black lawyer. Also great are the Larry (it's "Lawrence") 'n' Trudy comedy team, who pose as accident investigators but in reality, we come to see, are perfect foils for the protagonist.Fifth, there's a deep sadness that leaks through the edges of this novel. I don't know if it's intentional or not--maybe it's simply a product of Mr. Simmons' own somewhat austere and problematic philosophical orientation--but it gives the story a gritty texture that only enhances its appeal.OK, the story's not entirely without problems. I could make no sense of the equations relating to one of the accident investigations. And there was too much detail for most readers regarding firearms, ballistics, the effects of wind on bullet speeds and trajecteries, etc. But I don't recall anyone getting too hacked off at Michael Crichton when he pulled out that fractal crap in Jurassic Park, and nobody seems to complain about the anal-retentive qualities of Mr. Foucault or Mr. Pynchon or Mr. Eco.I have a theory about what the diehard Simmons' groupies don't like about this book. It's a little cartoonish. Their Literary Genius is having a little bit of fun. Also, many of the naysayers seem to have little familiarity with this genre; their critical remarks often take book and author to task for not writing another Carrion Comfort or Hyperion. I for one would love to see a whole series of Darwin Minor books. He's one of the sharpest blades out there.

This book was delightfull to read, I found myself putting it down at the intial scene of an accident and trying to figure out what happened before I read on. Once again Mr Simmons educates the reader, in an engrossing and fascinating style. Darwin's blade also scared me half to death, I'm driving much more carefully now, and the first thing I did after finishing it was to hand it to my newly driving teenage son. If you read LoveDeath and liked Entropy's Bed at Midnight you will love this Novel.

I think our fellow reviewers are being a little too harsh on Dan's "Darwin's Blade." One key factor to remember in any book is the entertainment factor. Did the book entertain me? And I would be hard pressed to think that they weren't entertained by this whimsical, different thriller.Darwin Minor and Syndey Olsen are great characters, and even if Simmons pulled some of the accidents off the net, who cares? They are pretty funny. The bizarre killings are also imaginative and quite interesting to those of us who have never imagined the life of an accident reconstructionist. If there are plot holes, inaccuracies (legally or whatever), the average reader doesn't care as long as he is entertained. And I found this to be one of Simmons' most entertaining novels.Maybe he'll even start a Darwin Minor series; why not? Every one else is into the series mode these days.If you haven't read the book, don't let the negative reviews deter you. If you want to have a fun read, enjoy.

DARWIN'S BLADE by Dan Simmons is the story of Darwin Minor, who works with Lawrence and Trudy Stewart as an independent accident reconstruction specialist, assisting the Californian Highway Patrol and other Californian Law Enforcement agencies in reconstructing traffic accidents to find out how an accident happened. Dar, however, is no ordinary person. He has a photographic memory, graduated with Ph.D. in physics at the age of nineteen, then joined the United States Marine Corps and became one of their best snipers, seeing action during the last year of the Vietnam War. He is also a student of Ancient History and Philosophy, having a special interest in the warriors of Sparta and how they conquered their fear, enabling them to win battles even when they were faced with insurmountable odds. Dar used to work for the National Transportation Safety Board, investigating airplane and auto accidents, and even the tragedy of the Challenger spacecraft explosion. It was the death of his wife and son in an airplane crash that changed his life forever. After a failed suicide attempt, Dar quit the NTSB and moved to California to live a quieter life. Now, an investigation he worked on involving murder and insurance fraud has brought him to the attention of the criminal organization behind the scam, plus the attention of the California Task Force on Organized Crime and Racketeering who would like to use him as bait. The criminal organization hires a Russian "hit" team to take out Dar Minor, but they underestimate his ability to survive and fight back. Dar has faced death countless times and he isn't afraid of the men who want him dead. If they want a war, they've come to the right man. He hasn't forgotten how to kill, and he's more than ready to take them all on. DARWIN'S BLADE surprised me as few novels have. I didn't know a whole lot about it before publication, but because Dan Simmons is such an excellent writer, I decided to take a chance. The book is not only filled with action and suspense, but also with a great deal of information relating to traffic accident reconstruction. It was a subject that I knew nothing about and found to be extremely interesting as presented here in Mr. Simmons' novel. There was also the subject matter of Marine snipers and how they operate. I found that utterly fascinating, especially with regards to the character of Darwin Minor and his battle at Dalat. DARWIN'S BLADE won't only entertain you, but will educate you as well. I like it when an author can convey information and make it fun to read. Mr. Simmons also has a unique ability to interject humor into his writing without taking away from the story, and I found myself laughing out loud a number of times. The only complaints I have about the book are some things that the editor should have caught. Kevin Costner's last name is spelled with a "K" in the book, and Chapel Hill is located in North Carolina, rather than South Carolina. Other than that, this

It's either 5 stars or 1. Five if you're looking for a fast-paced page-turner, decent character development and fun dialogue. One star if you're looking for another Song of Kali, Summer of Night, or Hyperion.It's perfect for what it is. I hope it introduces Mr. Simmons to suspense/thriller readers who will like it enough to explore his other books.