Critical praise for Science Fictions
As a blow to the mystique of scientific purity, Crewdson’s work is the most powerful and revealing since James Watson’s “The Double Helix.” — New Scientist
I could hardly put the book down out of a mounting realization that this was more than a story about human vanity and political corruption . . . Science Fictions is ultimately a scientific detective story, with dramatic plot twists, inspired sleuthing, and unlikely heroes . . . it’s a crime with many victims, and one that is well worth the effort to understand. — Washington Monthly
A gripping work with important implications for big-ticket research . . . The writing is taut, rising to the challenge to keep all the story lines clear . . . Science Fictions offers a chilling tale of one man’s chicanery and the danger when governments and media are mixed with the pressure of high-stakes science. — Chicago Tribune
A detailed history of the events that led scientists to the cause of AIDS — and it makes unpleasant reading for anyone who thought science was simply about the pursuit of truth. — Independent (London)
Science Fictions documents enough treachery, negligence, and megalomania to make even the most trusting of readers skeptical of the scientific establishment. — Washington Post
Was Gallo’s behavior so extreme as to be anomalous, or was it to some extent encouraged by what Crewdson calls a “hyper-competitive” scientific culture? If the latter, what can be done to reduce the likelihood of such corrosive incidents? If Science Fictions forces scientists to address these difficult questions — and it should — it will have served its purpose. — New York Times.
Crewdson’s account of how the scientific and journalistic communities coped (and sometimes failed to cope) may be the high-water mark of investigative journalism since Watergate. — Boston Globe
This is an awesomely documented prosecutorial brief that concedes no credit to its target and yields him no doubts. If the Gallo camp has a rebuttal, let’s hear it. — New Scientist
Science Fictions does shed considerable light on the way science works in America and the larger dilemma it may be facing. — Los Angeles Times.
A meticulous account of slippery science that develops slowly into a panoramic view of the biomedical world. — Kirkus Reviews
Magnificently researched, impeccably argued, lucidly written, Science Fictions stands among the best books about science, and about scientists, that I have ever read. — Barry Werth
Fasten your seat belts. John Crewdson is at the wheel of fast-paced nonfiction thriller about a scientific scandal of major proportions, with superstar scientist Robert Gallo of the National Cancer Institute at center stage . . . Crewdson has written a masterpiece on what seems to be a never-ending epidemic of non-accountability in this country. — Providence Journal-Bulletin.
Throughout the decade-long controversy (over the discovery of AIDS), the evidence of scientific malfeasance and governmental cover-up emerged gradually, and only now, as a result of Crewdson’s exhaustive research, can the whole tale be told. The narrative is fascinating. — Library Journal