NanoMorphosis

Anderson’s debut tackles human nature through a science fiction lens. On an overcrowded 22nd-century Earth, Daniel Walker, childhood survivor of an alien attack, is determined to carry on his murdered parents’ legacy and find a habitable exoplanet. Even as he gains public support, he is undermined by Senator Bromberg, a xenophobic politician with a secret life, and sabotaged by Dr. Cadmon Dhyre, a bioengineer trying to find a cure for a nanogenetic plague. Before Daniel’s ship leaves the solar system, Dhyre’s intelligent nanobots infect the mission, developing into Carrie, a sentient shape-shifter who sparks curiosity and fear among Daniel and his crew. On their return, Dhyre attempts to finish what he started and regain control over Carrie. Anderson ably explores the worst elements of human nature—rape and violence play a large role in the narrative—while still leaving hope for the future. A crowded plot means that each thread does not get the attention that it deserves, but by the end, the various story elements resolve successfully into a coherent whole. (BookLife)