eter Russell is a former writer, cartoonist photographer and director of soft-core pornographic films in Southern California who currently earns his living occasionally assisting aging millionaire Joseph Benoliel and his young wife, Michelle. He is on his way to visit the Benoliels at Salammbo, their Malibu estate, when he learns that his oldest and closest friend, fellow writer Phil Richards, has passed away. At Salammbo, Peter meets Stanley Weinstein, who is seeking investment capital for a new type of cell phone, called Trans, that will solve the rapidly approaching bandwidth crunch, providing unlimited data flow utilizing newly discovered technology. Peter agrees to work with Stanley to promote investment and receives a dozen units to distribute.
Joseph, meanwhile, has an odd request. He asks Peter to visit a New Age guru named Sandaji and ask her whether a person can survive without a soul. Peter's visit with Sandaji is disturbing for both of them, as she somehow senses that Peter's grief is from the unsolved murder of one of his two 10-year-old twin daughters the previous year, as well as the more recent death of his best friend.
Peter is invited by Phil's ex-wife to visit his house in Marin County to attend services. While staying alone at Phil's house, he begins seeing strange things in the night, ghosts of people as well as inhuman apparitions. While in Marin, Peter also visits the headquarters of Trans Corporation, which is situated in the former San Andreas prison facility. While there, Peter meets Arpad Kreisler, the quirky genius who developed Trans, and tours the facility, including the primary Trans unit, which has been built in the prison's former execution chamber.
Peter's visions become more frequent and intense, including spectral visits from both Phil and his murdered daughter. He slowly develops a realization that the transmission medium Trans is using is disturbing the souls of the departed and must be stopped. Peter also discovers that the secret of his daughter's tragic murder can be found at the Benoliel's Salammbo estate.
A superior SF ghost story
With Dead Lines, Greg Bear continues his evolution toward writing contemporary techno-thrillers, with a well-constructed science fiction ghost story that reads like Stephen King with a West Coast flavor. Bear uses some eerie California environs and likable but melancholy characters to establish an unsettling ambiance that permeates the book, and provide emotional verisimilitude. The single SF element, the new Trans technology, lends rational verisimilitude to the tale. The result is a compelling and emotionally powerful novel.
Bear has already demonstrated his skills in writing the contemporary techno-thriller with past books such as Vitals and the Darwin's series (Darwin's Radio and Darwin's Children) and has even written some fantasy based on supernatural elements. Dead Lines, however, has more of a supernatural feel than his other work.
The eerie history of the Benoliels' ornate mansions, and the San Andreas prison, and the sad details of Peter Russell's life are morbidly fascinating. Peter Russell's final odyssey through the bowels of Salammbo provide a powerful resolution to understanding his daughter's murder, as we discover that one of the most sympathetic and likable characters in the book is consummately evil. I even found the final supernatural denouement surprising and unexpected. Dead Lines is a novel that remains unpredictable from beginning to end, and is must reading for fans of contemporary suspense and horror.
