Snow Job Man

My brother finished reading a book for a class this summer and recommended that I read it. That’s unusual, because my brother didn’t use to read that much. However, he seems to want to ramp up his reading, and so I have offered some of the books I have. Plus he now has a job at Books-A-Hojillion that should help as well. That book was of course Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood. Atwood may be more familiar as the author of Handmaid’s Tale, another book that will probably end up on the “To Bo Read” shelf. I took a lot longer to read this book than normal, because it was a hardback on loan from the library. I didn’t feel like carrying the large book and risk messing it up. So I don’t want to waste any time getting to my rambling review.

The book takes place in the future, but I’m not sure how far removed. It’s probably the middle of this century, maybe a little later. At the very first you are introduced to Snowman. He begins slowly introducing you to the very strange world he lives in. Through present events and flashbacks to the past you are carried on the journey Snowman’s life. You get introduced to his dysfunctional family. The weird genetics company compounds he lives, goes to school, and works in. All this information while he reveals the empty and dangerous place the world has become. You meet Crake and then Oryx and the parts all three have played in these events. The world is essentially devoid of human life, except for Snowman. It is now the domain of the genetically engineered docile rakunks, the vicious wolvogs, the intelligent and omnivorous pigoons, and of course the Crakers. How could all of this destruction have taken place? Truthfully, Snowman is the last human on Earth that knows.

I really liked it. It was a pretty good page turner, and it kept you wondering about the answers to the questions all the way through. I mean you figure out the generalities of what happened early, but the details are what you read for. Anyway this post apocalyptic, depending on your world view, technology run amuck story reminds me of many of the similar stories. I think Atwood did a good job here and would recommend it to all those that like future tech disaster human condition stories.