it's not a good place for a picnic. Worse yet, the lake is leaking radiation into the neighboring Asanov swamp. Fault lines do cross under the lake. An earthquake potentially threatens to do just what Savina Martov sought to accelerate. Such a disaster would kill the Arctic Ocean and sweep over northern Europe.
Strange weapons. In this book, I employed sonic flares, radiosensitive poisons, whip-swords, shotguns that shoot Taser rounds, even a cell phone that converts into a gun. As you might guess, they're all real.
Autism and Autistic Savant Syndrome. While the exact cause for autism remains unknown, the latest research initiated by the Autism Genome Project in collaboration with the National Institute of Health has found that certain genes, along with environmental factors, contribute to the presentation of the disorder. For a better understanding of such unique minds, I highly recommend Dr. Temple Grandin's book,
In fact, the seed for this novel came from a quote by Dr. Temple Grandin. She was kind enough to permit me to use it: If by some magic, autism had been eradicated from the face of the earth, then men would still be socializing in front of a wood fire at the entrance to a cave. To my mind, it echoes the quote at the beginning of this novel from Socrates about the Oracle of Delphi: The greatest blessings granted to mankind come by way of madness, which is a divine gift. It makes one wonder if such unique minds truly guided the path of mankind's history.
To answer that, I'll end with a partial list of famous historical figures who are believed to have displayed some level of autistic tendencies.
Hans Christian Andersen Jane Austen
Ludwig van Beethoven Emily Dickinson
Thomas Edison Albert Einstein
Henry Ford Thomas Jefferson
Franz Kafka Michelangelo
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Isaac Newton
Friedrich Nietzsche Mark Twain
Nikola Tesla Henry David Thoreau
Alan Turing Nostradamus
You be the judge.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
While it may be inspiration that starts a novel, it's the dedication of the folks that surround an author that turn such inspiration into a finished product. In my last novel, I acknowledged the fantastic dream team at
HarperCollins, upon whose guidance and expertise I can place no greater value.
In this note, I'd like to spend a few words to especially recognize the writers of my critique group. I've been with this group since the beginning of my career (when I was writing horrible short stories that are now safely buried in my backyard), and it was through their counsel and criticisms that I have become a better writer. I'd first like to acknowledge Penny Hill, Steve and Judy Prey, and Dave Murray, whom I lean on too heavily at times for last-minute input. Then there is the core group, who has been with me through the trenches from the beginning: Caroline Williams, Chris Crowe, Lee Garrett, Jane O'Riva, Michael
Gallowglas, and Denny Grayson. And the new blood to the group, who always brings refreshing input: Leonard Little, Kathy L'Ecluse, and Scott Smith. Last, there is one gentleman who has since moved across the country but deserves special acknowledgment here as friend, mentor, and colleague: Dave Meek. Beyond the group, Carolyn McCray and David Sylvian stand on either side of me and keep pushing me to loftier heights. I also want to thank J. A. Konrath, author of the wonderful Jack Daniels series, for being there when I needed him during a moment of crisis; Jotu J. Kamlani, for his help in bladed weaponry; and Anthony Ossa-Richardson, for his personal help with the history of Delphi. As to the core of this novel, I would like to especially acknowledge Temple Grandin (author of Animals in Translation) for both the inspiration behind this book and for allowing me to quote her. And finally, a special thanks to the four people instrumental at all levels of production: my editor, Lyssa Keusch, and her colleague May Chen, and my agents, Russ Galen and Danny Baror. And as always, I must stress any and all errors of fact or detail in this book fall squarely on my own shoulders.
About the Author
New York Times bestselling author JAMES ROLLINS holds a doctorate in veterinary medicine and runs his own practice in Sacramento, California. An amateur spelunker and a certified scuba enthusiast, he'll often be found either underground or underwater. www.jamesrollins.com
ALSO BY JAMES ROLLINS
Subterranean
Excavation
Deep Fathom
Amazonia
Ice Hunt
Sandstorm
Map of Bones
Black Order
The Judas Strain
