Review: Oryx and Crake, by Margaret Atwood

Original Pub.: 2003
Edition: Virago 2004
Pages: 433
Age Range: 16+
Genre: speculative fiction, dystopia
Series: yes, first of trilogy
Dedication: Yes — “For my family”
Why I picked it up: recommendation from a friend

Oryx and Crake is the first of Atwood’s novels I have read. At thirty years of age this perhaps makes me a bad Canadian, or at least a bad literary one. But though it was my first, I doubt it will be my last.

Snowman has survived the pandemic that has destroyed human kind (apt, I know). He survives in a wilderness through scavenging the remains of civilisation and the respect he has garnered amongst a new species of humanoid, who are genetically very different from us. These humanoids seem to worship two mythical figures, Oryx and Crake. And yet, these two are not mythical to Snowman; in fact, they are inextricably linked both to the disaster and his survival.

The first thing to say: this book is creepy. It reminded me in some ways of Stephen King’s Dark Tower series, with its references to a life and world we recognise amidst its apocalyptic and cynical view of human nature. Make no mistake: this is a novel about the death of humans as a species. It is a bleak read, and a cynical one, where teenagers watch reality-tv executions and real-time suicides. As a teacher I know this exists on the internet already, and that teenagers do watch it. But thankfully we are not yet living in a world in which this is very common or an accepted norm. Oryx and Crake has an interesting relationship with morality — there do seem to be some rules for behaviour, but the only “crimes” which are punished are protests against the system. Our narrator mentions murder, abuse, and misuse of people and animals consistently without judgement, lending a sort of cold detachment to the story.

The story is written in a series of flashbacks which blend extremely well with the present-day narrative. Atwood’s skill here is evident — I did not ever feel bored with one narrative or wish the transition was elsewhere than it was. At the end of the story I felt satisfied with the conclusion, although I am sure others would not agree. This is, in fact, the first book in a trilogy, but I don’t feel like I need to spend more time in this world.

I have some more thoughts but will add them to the end as they will not be spoiler-free.

Conclusion: I would recommend for those who enjoy dystopia or thinking about the human condition.

*** Spoilers Below***

Thoughts:

• Atwood labels Crake and the other genius scientists as neuro-diverse, clearly a reference to the autistic spectrum. I found it difficult, however, to reconcile that with Crake’s behaviour, which is downright psychopathic. I’m not sure what I’m trying to say here, except that I’m not wholly comfortable with the way his neurodiversity is linked with his committing of atrocities.
• Crake kills “Homo sapiens sapiens” and creates his own, ‘improved’ version of a human being. Along with ‘useful’ traits like natural insect repellent, Crake alters the fundamental structures of what we might call human nature in order to eliminate conflict: sexual behaviours and families, religion and community. I found it interesting that Atwood keeps singing and dreams as un-erasable human traits. Crake says “we’re hard-wired for dreams” and singing, and it seems that myth is also hard-wired. So what is human and what is not? Are the Crakers humans 2.0? Or are they a different species altogether? What is humanity? Can it exist in any form without conflict?