Distress is set in the "not so distant" future, where biotechnology and genetic engineering have shaped our world in surprising ways. Andrew Worth, a reporter for a science-oriented TV network, is covering a conference where the world's leading physicists are trying to settle on a Theory of Everything.

The conference is held on a bio-engineered island, and the ensuing story focuses on the island's political struggle in a world dominated by corporations (whose efforts to protect their patents determines most foreign policy). A small personal drama unfolds around Worth's love-life and not surprisingly the personal and political combine -- but in a highly surprising manner.

The characters are vividly developed and the settings are fully painted. The love story is believable and well-drawn (a rarity in science fiction). I highly recommend this book -- it has the two elements I most appreciate in science fiction: biology and politics.