Human Error

The possibilities of cross-fertilization between biological and computer sciences increasingly interest SF writers. Greg Bear's nightmarish, if visionary, Blood Music saw such ""biochips'' running amok, infecting and transforming the human race. Preuss treats the same premise, of brilliant but myopic scientists who allow their ``intelligent virus'' out of the lab without considering the consequences. Computer designers Toby Bridgeman and Adrian Storey have just completed a radically new machine whose cellular circuits will grow to the requirements of the user. Soon, however, those molecules begin growing in the users and while some die, most are actually changed for the better. Although this utopian concept brings up more intriguing ideas than he pursues, Preuss has written a swift, entertaining scientific thriller that should win a wide audience. November 18