Change Agent Hardcover – April 18, 2017

The first novel that I read by Daniel Suarez was Daemon, he wrote as Leinad Zeraus. Suarez has always had a talent for writing page turners. Daemon has a fascinating plot. But Daemon is not a novel with deeply developed characters.Change Agent shows how much Daniel Suarez has grown as a writer. The novel revolves around the character of Ken Durand. Early in the novel Ken Durand is injected with a "change agent" that can edit the genes in the trillions of cells that make up a human. Durand's genetics and his body are transformed into the genotype and body of a crime lord who is wanted world wide for terrible crimes. The reader sees Durand's struggles and motivations in great detail. As the novel heads toward its conclusion one of the questions that Ken Durand is asked is whether our true identity is our form and flesh or whether our true being is separate.Change Agent explores how recent developments in genetic engineering may change society. The CRISPR gene editing enables genetic engineering that was impossible only a few years ago. Single gene mutations that would harm a child when it grows up can be edited in the embryo (although so far there are only reports of this being done in China). Other single gene changes, like hair and eye color, could be made. Even changes that could increase memory, intelligence or athletic stamina might be possible in the future. Changes to an emergent characteristic like intelligence would involve multiple genes and in Change Agent massive computing resources are required to model the genetic edits.Change Agent also explores the dark side of sophisticated genetic engineering. What if child soldiers could be engineered so that they were entirely without conscience and obeyed orders without question? Or factory workers could be created who need a minimum of food, who can quickly master repetitive tasks and will work tirelessly without complaint. Human workers who are cheaper than factory robots. Some of this is the stuff of nightmare.Mammals are more complicated than anything that humans have ever constructed. Complex organisms are not only products of their genes, but of complex gene expression and interaction. Some of the elements in Change Agent may be overblown, but Daniel Suarez's speculations are plausible and fascinating.

CHANGE AGENT was published in 2017, but it tops my list of the best book I read in 2019. A phenomenal read!Oh my goodness! CHANGE AGENT is, to me, like waking up on Christmas morning to all my dream presents! If you enjoy books by Robin Cook and/or Michael Crichton and/or Philip K. Dick, you will love this one!I'm always on the lookout for great techno thrillers, the blurb for CHANGE AGENT proved irresistible, and the book is ten times better than I expected. First of all, it's exceptionally well written, the universe created is astounding yet entirely believable, and every character is fully fleshed out; all of this is remarkable for this sort of book. It's fast-paced, informative, ingenious, action-packed, intelligent, thought-provoking, and beyond exciting. I love the diversity of characters and the setting - Singapore, Thailand, and Myanmar - in the year 2045, and the science aspect is simply astonishing.I cared for the main character, Kenneth Durand; he's relatable and "normal" and it was easy to understand his ethical and existential concerns. But he is not the only fabulous character; Otto and Dr. Freye are truly unforgettable. CHANGE AGENT is a brilliant, amazing, fantastic book and Daniel Suarez is an extraordinary writer. This one goes on my keeper shelf! I hope it's the first book in a series because the universe of CHANGE AGENT is just too awesome to stop at one book.

Daemon was my first AI gone mad experience and totally hooked me on Daniel Suarez. Change Agent is my first genediting adventure and again, I've been totally captivated by the idea of biological transformation at one's very DNA. The bioengineering concepts mesmerized me.I wasn't so entralled by the rambling route from the fascinating first genetic re-identity to the anticlimactic confrontation with the change maker. I'd have preferred a crisper pace with more focus on biotampering rather than meandering journey through disposable have-nothing hoards and hedonistically excessive techie havens. And the implausibly contrived invitation to the bioediting facility stretched credulity.Sure the writing is smooth and the cautionary fictionalizing is philosophically spot on, but desultory aimlessness of the plot makes the point as disquietingly vague as Otto's "counterwound" DNA. I'm all for social commentary as SciFi or fantasy, but dystopian ethos gets lost when too much focus lands lightly on the perks while skipping negligently over the ubiquitous detriments.Still, the story kept me engaged, and I appreciated the decent proofing enough to round up from 3½☆. But I'd rate it better as an exciting movie than a deeply engaging book.

I loved Suarez’s Daemon series, and this has a similar near-future sci fi setting. However the story is not cohesive and has numerous plot holes. Why was identity threatened when Frey was able to ID Durand’s organs? How was it that all it took to convince Otto to kill his “father” was to tell him something that Durand had surmised almost immediately?I’d read the first half and then stop, knowing what I know now.

Well Daniel, you've done much better before! The topic itself is interesting, but a bit far off and you are not helping much to understand it. Your main character is pretty pale and you just missed, to make him any interesting, or even loveable, I didn't care much about his faith through the end. The story is either rushed, or close to become boring and every time I am reading about those unbelievable powerful shadow organisations, without any reasonable explanation how they've become that powerful, it's going into the fairy tale drawer entirely.

I'm a huge fan of Daniel Suarez; I have read all his prior books and loved them. Change Agent, however is a much less interesting read. There is no depth to the characters. The main character, Kenneth Durand, in particular is flat and uninteresting. He has the emotional range of an earthworm and an intellect to match.Whereas Suarez's previous books have had multiple characters of interest and a variety of points of view, Change Agent is almost entirely from Durand's monotonous point of view.The storyline is also pretty thin and the world drawn by Suarez is far less convincing than in previous books.It does feel much more "filmable" than previous books - perhaps that what the author was going for.

Excellent book. The concepts are highly topical and the book explores may potential abuses and benefits of current cutting edge gene editing technologies. I have a science background and some knowledge of CRISPR and other gene editing technologies, but had not thought about some of the possible rabbit holes opened up by this area. The book is very thought provoking and an enjoyable thriller with a plot that races along.

badly written and not really that good of an idea. Got about a third of the way through without paying attention , couldn't be bothered going any farther. I recommend another book by the same author, Daemon . It's not very well written either but it's got some great ideas

An excellent action read. Good characters and apart from a few things that are unrealistic enough to pull you out of the story a little, is a very enjoyable book.I'd be very surprised if this isn't a film at some point in the near future, but unlike anything by Dan Brown it's actually a readable book too.