David Walton

"In this science fiction thriller, brothers are pitted against each other as a pandemic threatens to destabilize world governments by exerting a subtle mind control over survivors"--

The Genius Plague

Dave | Storyphoria

Full review up on the AIC Stories Podcast website at:
https://aicpod.com/2022/02/03/david-w...

It’s not perfect, it gets a little science and military jargon heavy at times, it asks you to just roll with some massive coincidental leaps of faith for our characters, but it’s a damn fun ride.

It’s moderately fast paced with an interesting story premise that, upon further examination, can leave you REALLY feeling like mankind is teetering on the edge of total annihilation at any moment. And when you start to really think through the ramifications of what is presented in the book, there is just enough horror to leave you feeling a bit uneasy at the thought it could happen someday.

If that sounds good to you, I think you’ll enjoy the ride so give it a look. I enjoyed it enough to recommend it.

Zoey Mikalatos

I loved this book! This was one of the most scientific science fiction books that I have ever read, with fungus and issues about what humanity should do in its quest to improve itself. I think David Walton is my new favorite science fiction author.

"Inefficiency is imagination. It's singing in the rain and vaudeville shows and sandcastles and whimsy and falling in love and yearning for our dreams to come true. Inefficiency is the best part of who we are."

jam 🍯

I would rate this a little less than 4 stars!

I very much enjoyed this sci fi thriller, so much so that I devoured the ebook within 24 hours. Although the beginning seemed extremely telegraphed, I'm willing to blame this on the over-descriptive book jacket and blurb. My favorite part was the descriptions of how the fungi worked, and the information about various cryptology. It was mostly at the end that I felt it escalate very rapidly to an extent that felt gratuitous rather than plausible.

I enjoyed this book and would probably read another one of the author's books in the future.

WINNER of the 2018 Campbell Award for Best Novel A WALL STREET JOURNAL Best Science Fiction Book of 2017 In this science fiction thriller, brothers are pitted against each other as a pandemic threatens to destabilize world governments by exerting a subtle mind control over survivors. Neil Johns has just started his dream job as a code breaker in the NSA when his brother, Paul, a mycologist, goes missing on a trip to collect samples in the Amazon jungle. Paul returns with a gap in his memory and a fungal infection that almost kills him. But once he recuperates, he has enhanced communication, memory, and pattern recognition. Meanwhile, something is happening in South America; others, like Paul, have also fallen ill and recovered with abilities they didn't have before. But that's not the only pattern--the survivors, from entire remote Brazilian tribes to American tourists, all seem to be working toward a common, and deadly, goal. Neil soon uncovers a secret and unexplained alliance between governments that have traditionally been enemies. Meanwhile Paul becomes increasingly secretive and erratic. Paul sees the fungus as the next stage of human evolution, while Neil is convinced that it is driving its human hosts to destruction. Brother must oppose brother on an increasingly fraught international stage, with the stakes: the free will of every human on earth. Can humanity use this force for good, or are we becoming the pawns of an utterly alien intelligence?

Aurooba Ahmed

This is one of the coolest books I've read this year. The combination of code- breaking, environmentalism, and politics makes for a page- turning, tightly woven story that forces you to think about free will, mind altering drugs, and intelligence in ways you may not have considered before. LOVED it, couldn't put it down, devoured it in one day.

The Genius Plague

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