Germline (n): the genetic material contained in a cellular lineage that can be passed to the next generation. Also (slang): secret military program to develop genetically engineered supersoldiers. One hundred years from now, Russia and the United States are at odds again. This time the war has gone hot. Heavily armored soldiers battle genetically engineered troops hundreds of meters below the icy, mineral-rich mountains of Kazakhstan. War is Oscar Wendell's ticket to greatness. A reporter for the Stars and Stripes, he has the only one-way ticket to the front lines. The front smells of blood and fire and death-it smells like a Pulitzer. But Kaz changes people, and the chaos of war feels a bit too much like home. Hooked on a dangerous cocktail of drugs and adrenaline, Oscar starts down a dark road that he won't be able to turn back from. Title Info. 1. Crank Fire 2. Winter Offensive 3. Ad Hoc 4. Cold Turkey 5. Cutoff 6. Enter the Cockroach 7. Outbound 8. Last Stand 9. Second Chances 10. Accommodations Epilogue "Compelling…Recalling the work of Remarque, Willi Heinrich, and especially Michael Herr, McCarthy's delirious narrative avoids cliché and raises intriguing questions about what it means to be human." "Brilliantly written…One of the most compelling science fiction books of the year. Germline is much more than a novel about a futuristic war." "Delivers a rapid-fire military SF adventure that explores the relationship between the runaway development of technology and biotech and the long-term consequences that ensue. Fans of military SF and science-based SF will enjoy the unusual setting and vivid battle descriptions."
