Book excerpt: “Science fiction at its best, a realistic tale of exploration and danger, written by a man who knows the details of deep-sea exploration firsthand.” —Ben Bova, Hugo Award-wining author With a crew of seven, the Challenger sea lab submerges three miles below the waves for a one-year mission to study the hidden world of the deep black sea. How is it that sea animals can live and reproduce in water that should boil them on the thermal vents known as “black smokers?” Superheated water that is full of toxins and heavy metals and contains almost no oxygen should be void of life on planet Earth—and yet it is teeming with it. The answer to the puzzle lies in the bacteria. Researcher Ted Bell is a NASA scientist with his own agenda: getting humans to Mars. When he purposefully infects a member of the crew in an attempt to harness the power of the Deinococcus radiodurans bacteria, he quickly loses control and unleashes a terrifying new creature. His botched experiment quickly becomes a battle for survival—three miles below the surface. With the research vessel nearing catastrophic failure, and terrifying alien life forms running wild through the ship, the crew must figure out a way to battle something that is no longer human while trying desperately to reach the surface alive. “Crichton at his best is the main author who comes to mind as a comparable influence when reading Deep Black Sea . . . The informative and fascinating science that fills each page really elevates this book to a higher grade.” —Horror Novel Reviews