Domesticating dragons

With this mash-up of science fiction and fantasy, Koboldt (The World Awakening) delivers a funny and immersive look at the world of genetic engineering. Recent PhD Noah Parker is hired as a designer by Reptilian Corp., purveyor of dragons. The dragons engineered by Reptilian Corp. have been used by industrial farmers for years, and now the company is eager to break into the retail market with a domesticated model, as a canine epidemic recently wiped out dogs from North America. Noah's job is to pull the best aspects from different animals together to create a dragon that could be sold as a household pet--but Noah has a secret agenda of his own and intends to alter the dragons' DNA to his own ends. As he works, he's swept up into the sinister underbelly of Reptilian Corp., learning the company's dark secrets. With characteristic verve, Koboldt contrasts the playful adventure plot with the eerily dystopian setting and a searing examination of corporate greed and ambition. Fans of inventive speculative fiction are sure to be pleased. (Jan.)