science fictions

Well, I couldn't put this one down, but at the same time I can't really say that I was entertained by it. What a bleak, miserable and pessimistic future Atwood envisions. Scientifically complex and literally complex, Atwood is raising the all important question of "what if the scientific tools that we have today are misused, and how far down the road do we have to go before things start to go terribly wrong?" I'm a big fan of Atwood's work, but I have to say that this novel is not one of my favourites, although I DID read The Handmaid's Tale years ago and absolutely loved it. Those who say that Oryx and Crake is a science fiction novel are missing the mark; it's actually speculative fiction - taking a world that is familiar to us now and hypothesizing on an incredible outcome. Atwood raised lots of issues in this book - genetics, and gene splicing, sexuality, popular culture, environmental destruction, the existence of god, STD's, diseases, globalization and the fate of human societies. This is not a "heavy" read but certainly a provocative one. I found the preamble with Snowman's encounter with the Crakers a little tedious, but the story really gets going when we start flashing back to Jimmy and Crake. I really liked the way Atwood keeps giving you hints throughout and keeps you wondering what catastrophe actually struck society, and how Snowman ends up in this situation. The scenes when Jimmy goes to work in the Compound are chilling in their realistic detail and it's the sort of story that gives you bad dreams at night!

This is a good read, and also a very depressing vision of our future!

Michael

Dystopian fantasies are all around us -- everything from The Matrix to Mad Max, from Farenheit 451 to Brave New World. Some are escapist entertainment, seemingly far removed from any future we can relate to. Others, like Orwell's 1984, are truly frightening, because we can place it along a trajectory that includes our own real lives. Margaret Atwood's _Oryx and Crake_ is similarly evocative.

_Oryx and Crake_ takes us back and forth between a post-apocalyptic world and the earlier events which led to the disaster. In these pages, we're introduced to Snowman, the narrator, whose changed persona reflects the drastic changes around him -- and we get to observe the elusive, fascinating Oryx and Crake, who are just mysterious enough to keep us wondering and wanting to know more.

The crisis is built upon ever escalating genetic meddling and environmental destruction -- neither of which is far removed from our lives today. Vivid characterizations and a well-constructed narrative kept me turning the pages. Atwood knows how to dangle that proverbial carrot, drawing the reader in deeper as the flashbacks draw closer and closer to the narrator's present situation.

Read this book if you're looking for an exciting page-turner. Read it because it's a great yarn. You'll get something extra in the process -- something to ponder as the world of science celebrates the mapping of the human genome.

Atwood is a poet. This book, while not her best, is nonetheless a chilling, riveting story. Fans of The Handmaid's Tale will enjoy her return to sci-fi writing. Those who prefer Atwood's more traditional novels may not love this one, but even they won't be able to help being tranfixed by her craftsmanship.