Oryx and Crake

Margaret Atwood has proven herself as a writer with a gift for storytelling and the art of subtlety. Oryx and Crake offers a ‘what if’ scenario that doesn’t overplay science fiction clichés or atmosphere, but places the reader in a world similar to our own. Genetic engineering and experimentation has already happened in our lifetimes with cloning, stem cell research, and genetically modified organisms by large corporations. Bioethics is still an issue on our horizon, but in Jimmy’s world, the Monsantos of the world have won out and are splicing animal DNA to create new organisms better suited to human needs. Simulacrums are engineered in labs, barely resembling their original counterparts. Society is driven by consumption, pharmaceuticals, and an apathetic perspective.