Science Fiction author Orson Scott Card's Malpractice, originally written as a short story in 1977, was turned into a movie script by screenwriter Aaron Johnston. Although the film was never produced, Card and Johnston recently teamed to pen Invasive Procedures, an original novel based on the script. The story revolves around V16, a virus created by geneticist George Galen which he hopes will cure many genetic diseases. It does prove effective on those that it's intended for; however, if anyone else is exposed it leads to a gruesome death. Galen's maverick practices have put him at odds with the national science community; he has allied himself with a religious sect known as the Healers to help further his work. They begin running experiments on the homeless community, with or without their consent. The virus eventually makes it into the wild, several deaths follow, which leads a federal biohazard agency, along with virologist Lt. Col. Frank Hartman, to launch an investigation. The fast-paced book grows more intriguing with each page turn; most will find this one difficult to put down.
The book is far from the extreme Science Fiction that Card's readers often expect. However, if you enjoy medical thrillers with an edge, you'd do well to try this one out.
- Wesley
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