Having played the two "Parasite Eve" videogames, I was very happy to finally read the original novel upon which the games were based (the games are actually sequels to the book, taking place in the US and involving new characters). Hideaki Sena's debut novel is a strong science-fiction horror story, but it might not be for everyone.

This is one horror novel that really gets under your skin, and the final third of the novel is filled with many graphic, scary moments. To put it one way, imagine if Dean Koontz and Michael Crichton decided to team up and write a book together.

Sena's background in Pharmacology is evident here--the scientific jargon is at times overwhelming (even to me, and I have a biology degree!). This fact will turn off some readers. As to the complaint that the book is too gruesome--come on! Are we forgetting about Clive Barker's early stories/novels and the splatterpunk craze?

If anything, PARASITE EVE's release in English is a welcome step into bringing over more Japanese literature to America, whether it is horror, science-fiction, or contemporary. It just seems appropriate since many American writers are translated into Japanese, but not vice-versa.

I enjoyed PARASITE EVE. It's a different kind of horror story, and kudos to Vertical for bringing it to these shores.

I preordered this book a number of weeks ago and finally received it and I wasn't disappointed. I know nothing about the video game and to be honest am not particularly interested in the video game, but the novel's wonderfully inventive and incredibly entertaining.

What the hell is up the the first reviewer, "K. Jasmin "Catjazz",??! What an irritating, useless review. It's riddled with gramatical errors and I have no idea what the hell it's talking about.

To be frank, if you don't like romance, you probably won't enjoy this book, despite it's science fiction overtones. Fans of the movie know what to expect from the typical Japanese horror, however, for the open minded: a good read.