Fluke

Nate Quinn is an easy-going marine biologist studying the "music" of humpback whales. Through Bill Irwin's narration, listeners can fully imagine Nate's shock when he sees the words "Bite Me" on the underside of a whale's tail. But when the rest of novel's large cast is introduced, Irwin's narration becomes problematic. His unmodulated reading prevents the science humor and numerous asides common to Moore's writing from shining through. Further, his attempt to add individualized voices for a very few characters, such as Kona, the "spliff-smoking Rastaman," distracts from the story. While Moore's humor is decidedly thoughtful and irreverent, Irwin's inconsistent delivery disappoints. E.J.F. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine

Starred review from March 31, 2003
From Jonah to Pinocchio, men have dreamed of stowing away alive in the bellies of whales. Nate Quinn experiences this doubtful honor in Moore's outrageous new novel (after Lamb). Nate studies whales, operating a small research unit in Lahaina in Maui along with Clay Demodocus, a famous undersea photographer, and two seasonal hires: Amy Earheart, supposedly a grad student from Woods Hole Institute, and Kona, a dreadlocked Hawaiian stoner. When Nate spots a humpback whale with "Bite Me" tattooed on a tail fluke, mysterious disasters start to strike. Then Nate, out with Amy, is swallowed by the tattooed humpback. Technically, this is impossible, nature having created narrow throats for humpback whales, but the tattooed one is a living ship, a simulacrum of a humpback run by a crew of humans and "whaley boys"—human/ whale cross breeds. Nate learns that they were designed by the Goo. (The Goo is a giant, intelligent organism that evolved undersea billions of years ago and has lately been spying on humans with fleets of false whales.) The whale ships dock in Gooville, an underwater city populated by supposedly drowned humans and horny whaley boys on shore leave. The place is run by the "Colonel," Nate's old teacher, "Growl" Ryder. Nate runs into Amy and helps foil the Colonel's mad plan to destroy the Goo. Meanwhile, Clay and Kona plan to come to Nate's rescue. Moore is endlessly inventive in his description of the rubbery, watery world of Goo, and his characters are perfectly calibrated, part credible human beings and part clever caricatures. This cetacean picaresque is no fluke—it is a sure winner. (June)Forecast:Moore's wacky fantasia may not be for everyone, but Morrow is ensuring that it reach the maximum number of readers possible, with a 16-city author tour and a major ad/promo campaign. Cult classic? Could be.

December 1, 2003
Marine biologist Nate Quinn has spent years in Hawaii trying to learn why humpback whales sing. Then one day, a greater mystery arises when he thinks he sees the message "Bite Me" on a whale's tail. With his new assistant, Amy; photographer Clay Demodocus; and Kona, a New Jersey kid who has transformed himself into a mixture of native Hawaiian and Rastafarian, Nate stumbles upon even greater biological deep-sea mysteries. Moore spins a tale that is a highly entertaining blend of science, romance, humor, and environmentalism. His yarn owes less to the likes of Peter Benchley and Michael Crichton than to Lewis Carroll and Douglas Adams; it is less sf than magical realism. Bill Irwin does a wonderful job with the voices, especially the faux Rastaman and "the old broad" who funds Nate's research, but his tone is occasionally too serious for what is, despite its environmental theme, essentially a comic novel. Recommended both for popular collections and for those with strengths in biological sciences.-Michael Adams, CUNY Graduate Ctr.

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