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A review by shybane
The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood
4.0
The Waterless Flood has come and only a handful of survivors remain. This story is told through the eyes of two survivors, Ren and Tobi, just as Oryx and Crake was told through the eyes of Jimmy and Glenn. On an emotional level this book fulfills, unlike Oryx and Crake. Perhaps it was Atwood's intention, after all this novel is told by women and it's companion piece is told by men.
Never-the-less, this story touches on many of today's hot button issues... genetic "tinkering", corporations have replaced the government, the state of the economy, religion and even arts in education (although I may be stretching this one just a bit). As you read, it gives one pause about the state of the world today. Margaret Atwood does not call this work "science fiction," but rather "speculative fiction." She's taking the current state and speculating on what this may lead to? (of course, isn't that exactly, for the most part, what science fiction is... was Author C Clarke not a science fiction writer?). Can our current path lead us to the world? Possibly?
It's an amazing piece of fiction. The story, though set in the time after the catastrophic events of the waterless flood, this plague, that has nearly wiped out the human race take place, is neatly told in flashback. The world we live, according to Atwood, is not becoming a better place. Corporations, who have their own military, have taken the place of government. Science and mathematics are the prized avenues to knowledge - the arts are frowned upon. Religion has been ultimately erased with the exception those living on the fringe. Our food, our hair, our bodies have become genetically engineered.
Oddly enough, in my mind, the God's Gardeners, with there interpretation of the bible are seemingly the most sane. This is a much different tact than Atwood took in The Handmaid's Tale (one of my top five favorite books of all time), where God's word in the scripture is taken at point value. I wonder, with age, does she see religion differently?
The story ends on a (sort of) cliff hanger. Will Ms. Atwood continue this piece? I've heard tale of a MadAddam trilogy. Does it continue? I certainly hope so, because the book was nearly perfect.
Never-the-less, this story touches on many of today's hot button issues... genetic "tinkering", corporations have replaced the government, the state of the economy, religion and even arts in education (although I may be stretching this one just a bit). As you read, it gives one pause about the state of the world today. Margaret Atwood does not call this work "science fiction," but rather "speculative fiction." She's taking the current state and speculating on what this may lead to? (of course, isn't that exactly, for the most part, what science fiction is... was Author C Clarke not a science fiction writer?). Can our current path lead us to the world? Possibly?
It's an amazing piece of fiction. The story, though set in the time after the catastrophic events of the waterless flood, this plague, that has nearly wiped out the human race take place, is neatly told in flashback. The world we live, according to Atwood, is not becoming a better place. Corporations, who have their own military, have taken the place of government. Science and mathematics are the prized avenues to knowledge - the arts are frowned upon. Religion has been ultimately erased with the exception those living on the fringe. Our food, our hair, our bodies have become genetically engineered.
Oddly enough, in my mind, the God's Gardeners, with there interpretation of the bible are seemingly the most sane. This is a much different tact than Atwood took in The Handmaid's Tale (one of my top five favorite books of all time), where God's word in the scripture is taken at point value. I wonder, with age, does she see religion differently?
The story ends on a (sort of) cliff hanger. Will Ms. Atwood continue this piece? I've heard tale of a MadAddam trilogy. Does it continue? I certainly hope so, because the book was nearly perfect.