Darwin's Radio

In Greg Bear's Nebula Award-winning novel, "Darwin's Radio," biologist Mitch Rafelson stumbles upon a terrifying discovery: a previously unknown endogenous retrovirus, HERV-L, has become active within the human genome. This ancient pathogen, long considered inert 'junk DNA,' is now triggering a rapid evolutionary leap in pregnant women, leading to the birth of a new hominid species dubbed 'Shepherds.' As society grapples with the implications of this radical biological shift, Dr. Kaye Lang, a renowned geneticist, races against time to understand the virus's purpose and mitigate global panic. The novel plunges readers into a world teetering on the brink of profound transformation, exploring themes of human identity, the ethics of genetic manipulation, and the potential for our own DNA to hold the key to our next evolutionary step. It's a gripping tale where scientific discovery collides with societal fear, forcing humanity to confront its future.