Dark Biology by Bonnie Doran

I love well written science fiction and this novel is a good one.

It is some years in the future and NASA has a new vehicle to transport astronauts to the ISS. Invited to go on the maiden voyage is “Hildi” Hildebrandt, a well known vaccinologist with the CDC. She jumps at the opportunity to conduct experiments on the ISS. That just might be what it would take to get the Nobel Prize before her estranged brother Chet, also with the CDC. But the voyage goes terribly wrong when thrusters malfunction and the docking rings on the ISS are damaged. They can't dock and they can't go back. Will they die in space before they can be rescued?

Chet Hildebrandt is a bitter man. He is angry because his “holy” father, a pastor, was a hypocritical adulterer and his mother forgave him and took him back. He's angry because his parents now teach marriage seminars. He's angry because the CDC doesn't recognize his superior work and think he's hard to work with. He's angry with his sister getting the chance he should have had. When the head of the CDC asks Chet to take some time off, he decides he'll get even with them all. He manages to swipe a vial of a flu virus from the CDC, with plans to spread it around at his father's next marriage seminar. It won't hurt anybody, Chet thinks, but it sure will make his parents uncomfortable. Only there is a problem Chet did not foresee. The vial he swiped does not contain a mild flu virus.

This is a great science fiction novel within the Christian genre. There is the space station aspect running parallel to the deadly virus Chet has unleashed. Both situations are a race against time to preserve life. Add to that the story of the Hildebrandt parents and their efforts to help troubled marriages move to restoration and you have a novel with continuous action. The characters of Hildi and Chet are crafted well. And there is a hint of romance too. A fine science fiction novel about the choices we make – for good or evil.

View the book trailer here.

Bonnie Doran has always loved science fiction. She has written many devotionals but Dark Biology is her first novel. She volunteers at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. She has been married to her Mad Scientist electrical engineer husband for 29 years. You can find out more about her and her book at http://www.bonniedoranbooks.com/.

Harbourlight Books, 342 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from a publicity group for the purpose of this review.