The X-Files: Antibodies, is book five in an X-Files expanded series. This novel was written by Bestselling author Kevin J. Anderson and was published in July 1997.
SUMMARY
The DyMar genetic research laboratory was focused on a new form of cancer therapy, was, because the lab was destroyed by activists, and now the land has been sold off for development. An eerie death occurs on the closed lab grounds which is scheduled for demolition.
Mulder and Scully receive an X-File focused on the DyMar Lab death, the victim appears to have been killed instantly by some sort pathogen, looking like an insect killed by bug spay. It’s assumed by the duo that it’s likely that an animal, a test subject from the laboratory may have escaped when the place was burned down; it’s possible that a new disease may be on the verge of breaking out.
A mother, her sick child suffering from Leukemia, and their pet dog are in hiding out in the woods of Oregon. The husband/father was a scientist at the DyMar lab, doing everything he could to create a cure for his son. The failed prototype and final product of the potential cure, a nano-tech that manipulates DNA, is released from the burring lab. Now a man hunt on multiple fronts for multiple causes is taking place across the state of Oregon.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
This is the first book in the series that makes me feel as though I needed to be up to date on the show, some things are mentioned that I don’t recall happening in the previous book, but the details seem rather important as it affects Agent Scully.
Even though I just said watching the show would be beneficial, most of what happened is touched on in the book. This story is the best one yet, with a hook at the beginning that really pulled me in. Anderson did a great job setting the tone. This book was cut up into many small chapters, which was nice, for some reason that makes me feel like I’m moving along rather quickly while reading. At the end of each chapter, I wanted to keep going, keep reading, find out what happens next.
This story was wild! I feel like we may have less of Scully and Mulder in this book compared to the others, or maybe we just had so much of them in the previous book they felt absent here. This story was not only a race against the clock, but race against who would catch up with who first.
The climax of this X-Files book may be the most graphic/goriest in the series. I actually got grossed out by some of the highly detailed action. I enjoyed the characters in the story, though one of them seemed to really lack emotion at a point that I expected to see a lot of emotion. However, people are people and we all react in different ways to different things. The plot of this book was highly entertaining.
Do I recommend you read this book? Yes! An intense, fun X-Files book.
RATING
I will give The X-Files Book 5: Antibodies, an A.