Gene Mapper, by Taiyo Fujii
This debut from Japanese author Taiyo Fujii, translated by Jim Hubbert, is set in a post-human future where gene-hacking has radically altered everything from the food we eat to our own bodies. The planet is overpopulated, virtual reality has supplanted most in-person contact, and the food supply is vulnerable to genetic collapse. A scientist named Hayashida discovers that a custom rice plant he engineered has suffered just such a calamity, and suspects a conspiracy. He travels to Ho Chi Min City to hunt down the culprit, but finds a plot that goes far deeper than a simple vendetta. Originally self-published in Japan, this translation introduces a major new voice in SF to Western readers.via the Barnes and Noble Science Fiction