"'Do you fellows want to live as long as civilization on earth exists?' Dalton said in precise unhurried words, while smoothing down his thick crop of silver hair. "
It's the 22nd Century and people no longer need to die—at least that is what John Dalton, a retired billionaire, wants to prove. After convincing his friends, all of whom are also past their prime years and billionaires, to join him, the men seek to clone their DNA while retaining their memory. The Reborn Project, as Dalton calls it, is not only morally questionable, but illegal. Still, the men press on, finding a way to take over the financially strapped IMS (The Institute of Medical Science). After a few missteps, John Daltons' reborn operation is a success and his old memory is placed into a younger clone, JD Dalton. But not everyone is happy about the Reborn Project and soon JD must deal with death threats. Legitimizing human cloning won't be as simple as Dalton had once thought.
An interesting and timely science fiction novel, Calmus' story weaves advanced technical vocabulary into his otherwise uncomplicated writing style, with much of the story told in convincing dialogue. The author creates a main character that manages to be sympathetic even while breaking the law and possibly destroying mankind. In his high concept story, Calmus addresses some of the many potential theoretical flaws within the idea of human cloning. Keeping the clone's body temperature warm enough, finding a way to grow a fetus inside an incubator, and insuring a process to delete old memories that are no longer needed are but a few examples. The plot takes twists and turns that surprise, but also remains believable and at times is even cautionary. This is an entertaining and thought-provoking read.
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