“Snowman
wakes before dawn.”
With these
words, Margaret Atwood begins a journey into a possible future that is at once
terrifying and breathtaking.
Oryx and Crake is the sort of novel that
might be called “sci fi” or “dystopian,” but it is not a cheap genre book with
a tired story. It is a relationship between the reader, the protagonist,
Snowman, and the world he wanders through. We meet Snowman at the end of the
world, as a tired, angry, defeated survivor, alone on a rocky beach with the
ruined remains of civilization through the woods in the distance. His only
companions are savage “wolvogs” (wolf/dog hybrids bred to look adorable but act
vicious) and the “Crakers,” a group of primitive, artificially bred human-like
creatures who look to Snowman as something of a god.
What follows is Snowman’s life,
slowly poured out to the reader like the personal account of a friend or family
member. We learn of Snowman’s past, and with it the history of this ruined
world, as well as his friendship with brilliant scientist Glenn, or
“Crake.” We explore his frustrations and
conflicts with a society that is at once very close to our own but only a
little more unrestrained in its consumerism and selfishness. Finally, we are
introduced to a figure that captivates Snowman and comes to affect him, Crake, and
the whole world: Oryx.
Oryx
and Crake is an exhausting read. Atwood’s writing is potent. She chooses
every word to be as powerful and as engaging as it needs. She guides us through the story moment by
moment, now telling us of Snowman’s past, now returning us to his lonesome
present, showing us two worlds: one full of potential but wasted on
trivialities; the other ruined and destroyed but still beautiful. What this
creates is a book that is powerful and touching. It will leave you feeling as
if you have lived alongside Snowman through his journey.
Atwood’s novel is not one that can
be tossed into the “science fiction” category as a simple diversion. Her
exploration of a possible future touches on many aspects of modern society,
taking our consumerism, our wealth disparity, and our selfishness and revealing
their true face. Oryx and Crake is
set in a world with pig/human hybrids, city-sized gated communities, and
corporations in place of governments, but it is our world. It is us. This is a
novel about today, now, here, not some world far away. Reading this book is coming home.
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