I read it again after reading 'Year of the Flood'. Still very enjoyable and fun to have the followup. It now seems like there will be a third? I hope. ( )

Atwood is my favorite author and I didn't expect anything less. I really enjoyed Atwood's perspective on what could happen to our world if we keep moving forward the way we do. The theme of science being let to get out of control is very pertinent to today's society. I am thankful for technological/scientific advancements but I am also thankful that there are rules and regulations for some things. I give this book 4.5 stars out of 5 ( )

I heard a radio interview with Margaret Atwood, promoting her latest book The Year of the Flood. She mentioned that some characters and the speculative scenario were common to this earlier novel. In preparation for reading the new one I went down to the local library and checked out Oryx and Crake.

Atwood describes Oryx and Crake as "speculative fiction," as opposed to science fiction, by which she means there are no space ships or aliens in the book. I think that Atwood is trying to differentiate herself from the pulp science fiction that some of us so dearly love, myself included. I would call the book a Vulcan mind meld between science fiction and literary fiction. The book begins in the middle with a protagonist named Snowman who lives in a tree house and wraps himself in a dirty sheet as if he never quite made it home from a toga party. His neighbors are a group of innocent naked vegetarians that look up to him as some sort of prophet or high priest. It's not at all clear what is going on at first - or second, or third. As the novel progresses Snowman's past is revealed bit by bit and Atwood's science fiction speculative scenario unfolds. By the time I reached two thirds of the way through the book it began to become clear to me what was going on.


Atwood takes contemporary issues and asks "what if." This is what really good science fiction does. Like Walter Miller's A Canticle for Leibowitz and Nevil Shute's On the Beach. Atwood gives us a post apocalyptic world. In this case, it is our current obsession, climate change and another contemporary issue, genetic engineering, that cause the apocalypse, and not nuclear war, the favored end times scenario of the 1950s and 60s, when these books were written. What if the Earth warmed up to the point that Canada had a tropical climate? What if corporations had their own cities, gated communities writ large, that separated their privileged employees from the dangerous unlawful, disease ridden "plebe lands" occupied by the rest of humanity? What if plants, animals and microbes, customized for commercial purposes, escaped into the wild and were able to survive and reproduce?

As might be expected one of those diseases, a raging airborne hemorrhagic, breaks loose and kills almost everyone. The naked people, a group of genetically engineered, disease resistant and socially manipulated post-humans, created in one of those corporate compounds as an experiment, that Snowman is living among are one exception. The genetically engineered "pigoons," wolvogs," "snats" and "rakunks," all animals created with the combined genes of different species, are the survivors, along with Snowman, for reasons not apparent until near the end of the book.

It is hard to write about Oryx and Crake without letting out some spoilers. Even knowing what you now know will take away some of the initial confusion, but perhaps also the frustration, of reading the first chapter or two. Atwood wants the reader to wonder what is going on with Snowman and who these friendly naked people are. It seemed as though he were a stranded Robinson Crusoe figure on one of Ursula LeGuin's planets, among her hermaphroditic humanoids. No aliens, indeed.

More reviews at http://residentreader.blogspot.com

How this post-apocalyptic treasure stayed off my shelf for so long I don’t know… it’s a genre I enjoy greatly, an author I respect, and it’s been recommended to me at least half a dozen times. And yet I picked it up thinking… Oh, okay. Time to read this, I guess. HAH. I just spent two days alternately moved, fascinated, horrified and wearing a wryly cynical smile (that made my cheeks cramp after a while). Oryx and Crake is a tale of the human condition and what happens when someone finds a cure for it.

Two of the principal characters, those named in the title, are gone. The people they’ve left behind are new… plant eaters, naked and colourful, placid and obedient to the wishes of the beneficent Crake, and of the kind Oryx. This pains Snowman – who used to be named Jimmy – because he never got to be a god, despite relaying the wishes of Oryx and Crake to these people for whom he feels responsible, and because all the people like Snowman have been wiped out. How and why, the reader discovers in a delightfully paced, teasing drip of information. Man’s ingenuity remains in their place; Wolvogs, Pigoons, Rakunks. Half-empty bottles of scotch.

The book’s edge over most in the genre is the way the reader is left wondering just how far into our future any of these leaps of writerly imagination actually are. Wry and cynical, the book may be, but it’s unnervingly close to plausible, in terms of societal evolution, and that makes it all the more enjoyable a read.

Atwood writes fabulous prose; so fabulous that it’s hard to mind that she’s just been kicking humanity in the teeth for 400+ pages. ( )

Mesmerizing and shocking... A superb read. ( )

This was absolutely brilliant. I love dystopian material, and this book did not disappoint. The background material is excellent, and Atwood really builds an entire world with just a few sentences. The characters are deep and well-rounded, and it’s a scary vision of a potential future. ( )

Humanity has been devastated by a virus and Snowman, formerly known as Jimmy, is perhaps the only human to have survived, for all he knows. With him are his friend Crake’s perfect creations, people genetically modified to become more perfect than ordinary human beings. They have better ways of sustaining themselves, go into heat like animals to avoid difficult romantic situations, and can even purr to heal injuries. Snowman, however, is having a much more difficult time surviving, and juxtaposes his struggle to find more food with his personal history, his love affair with Oryx, and how he found himself to be alone.

This is only my second Margaret Atwood novel, and after loving The Handmaid’s Tale, I’m really wondering why it took me so long to read another. I adore dystopias and Atwood has created another intriguing world here, if not quite as plausible. When Jimmy was a child, the Corporations ruled supreme, essentially acting as one big government. The world outside of the Corporations was unimportant, the people only used as test subjects and cash cows as medicines were infused with illnesses to keep the market booming. If any worker betrayed insider secrets, they were killed. This was the world of Jimmy’s childhood, and while he wasn’t brilliant enough for a high position, his best friend Glenn, later known as Crake, certainly was. It is Crake who sets out to change everything and puts in motion the events that destroy the world as everyone knows it.

While I couldn’t say I actually liked any of the characters, which was the book’s weakest point, it was hard for me to tear myself away from this book. I was fascinated by the development of the plot; we know early on that the world has changed drastically, but finding out just how and why was riveting. I didn’t like Jimmy/Snowman all that much, due to his escapades with women and his irritating obsession with Oryx, but I loved the curiosities of his world. His struggle to find more food allows us to relate to him even as we dislike him, but it also serves the purpose of guiding us through more of the world.

For me, the best part was the Crakers, the genetically altered beings that Crake created. What I liked about them was that even though they were modified to escape supposed human foibles, they still exhibited that humanity. This was mainly through their acceptance of a god-like story featuring, as expected, Oryx and Crake. Even though they’re reportedly hard-wired to miss out on all mistakes, they are still people and it’s almost as though we can see their mythology evolving. Snowman doesn’t know how else to explain it to them and they latch on remarkably easily. Fascinating stuff, and that really cemented the entire book for me.

Atwood is a remarkable author. Oryx and Crake has convinced me that I really need to get reading more of her work. I certainly recommend this, especially to those who enjoy dystopias and science fiction. ( )

love, dystopia, apocalypse, climate change, genetic engineering ( )

An amazing work. The story is intriguing and draws you in moment by moment. I do have to say that I really didn't like any of the characters though. It does not detract from the quality of the book at all. A good book makes you feel something or think about something...and I felt all throughout this book. Atwood's version of the world presented in this book is scary and horrifying. The wealthy live in protected communities and create, regulate, and market everything to the pleebs....Horrifying and so scary.

I did not find the characters likable and kind of wish that they had all gotten sick with the contagion, but that is just me...the story could not have been told in the same manner.

Amazing! The only reason that I did not rate the book 5 stars was because I would have liked one redeemable character. ( )

Interesting, illuminating, and very bizarre. It's a gentle, hypnotic dystopia painted with occasional garish strokes. My one complaint is that the "Everyman" role is not Everyman at all, but man with all of a man's worse foibles. It's not an elevating piece, but rather a sobering one of the mindset of the present majority.

"Oryx and Crake" is a novel of a terrifyingly plausible near future where the human race is gone (save for one man) and genetically engineered creatures run free. Snowman, the last surviving human, watches over a band of "Crakers", genetically modified human-like beings who have been designed to be perfect. Spliced creatures like wolvogs, rakunks, and pigoons have gone feral. Snowman's memories show how this world came to be. Those memories alternate with descriptions of what the world has become.
Atwood, has always, writes of the future in a way that is entirely believable and thought-provoking. I could easily believe that Snowman's world evolved from ours, much more so than when I first read the book a few years ago. The characters can leave a little to be desired, but Atwood's ideas more than make up for it. I hope that "The Year of the Flood", which I have heard is sort of a sequel, can live up to it. ( )

Set in the not-too-distant future, “Oryx and Crake” follows the journey of Snowman, survivor of a massive disaster, who is stranded in a world of biotechnology run amok. Hybrid creatures - ferocious wolvogs, glowing bunnies, rakunks, and pigoons - roam the land where rainstorms are a daily occurrence and humans are noticeably absent. Except for the beautiful, naked, child-like, green-eyed people camped nearby.

The book shifts between its present and past to explain how the world got this way, and to show what life is now like in this changed climate. We see Snowman’s upbringing as Jimmy, whose parents work for one of the ultra-secret biotech corporations housed in secluded Compounds. Jimmy meets the cold, emotionless Glen, aka, “Crake”, in high school and the two become fast friends. Crake is a supergenius who is recruited by the top schools (probably not Harvard or MIT, since in the book, most of the eastern seaboard is underwater) and then a top research company while Jimmy barely makes it into college and barely manages to hold a steady job afterwards.

Snowman is also tormented by memories of Oryx, a woman both he and Crake were both fascinated with. I found her story and how she becomes connected to Jimmy & Crake a little too unbelievable (and in a book where the popular fast food is chicken that is grown in the lab on a headless, legless chicken stem, that's saying something). To be honest, none of the characters are very original or likeable. Jimmy the joker can’t hold on to a job or girl (not even his mother). Cold, emotionless Glen sees the world as one big science lab for him to experiment with and his behavior in the end is not all that surprising. But then, perhaps Atwood is saying something by depicting the men this way.

Atwood’s writing flows smoothly, and she explains the scientific wonders without getting bogged down in jargon. But she perhaps goes too far to the other extreme with the cutesy words. Despite this, I found the book engaging and thought-provoking. ( )

http://www.bostonbibliophile.com/2009... ( )

This was my second reading of Oryx and Crake, a dystopian novel set at some undisclosed point in the future, probably later this century. Snowman, previously known as Jimmy, is, as far as he knows, the last human left on the planet. On first read, I was absorbed in understanding what was going on and piecing together the narrative. How did these things happen? Is Snowman alone on the planet? Who are Oryx and Crake? In that reading, the book was primarily a polemic on the dangers of science run amok. There are also some musings on art and the impossibility of silencing the spirit. It worked, and I enjoyed it, but as a dystopia, it’s not especially original.

However, this time I was struck with how Atwood seems to be exploring how we construct reality. The scientific aspects of the story involve genetic engineering. The characters are trying to build life that isn’t susceptible to disease, discomfort, or other frailties. But the scientists aren’t alone in that. Before the disaster, Snowman/Jimmy worked in communications, in spin-doctoring. When he talks to the Crakers, he tells them a version of the truth that he thinks they can understand and that will not overly distress them. But the rabbit hole goes deeper. In fact, on this second encounter with the story, I’m convinced that a lot of what is presented as truth in Snowman’s flashbacks is in fact a massaging of the truth, designed to fit Snowman’s fantasies. But where does Snowman’s fantasy end and the truth begin?

See my complete review at my blog. ( )

Atwood presents a horrifying vision of the future- a future in which humankind has altered the face of the world beyond belief. Populattion growth is beyond control causing a huge rift between the wealthy and poor, spawning violence and crime alongside ruthless pursuit of scientific answers to all problems. Genetic engineering and other kinds of tinkering has created things like pigs that grow human organs, fake boulders that water your lawn, babies with chosen characteristics. And society's utter moral degredation. It all eventually falls into chaos, until a man who calls himself Snowman is the only real human being left, alongside a group of genetically altered people who are impervious to so many ills- sunburn, disease, hunger (they eat grass), jealousy, hate, love? humor? that there's not a lot left to make them human. So many things in their brains have been rewired by the scientist Crake. Who was once Snowman's childhood friend.

The main character in this story is Snowman and his younger self, Jimmy. The plot follows him through his daily struggle to survive in the present altered and (to him) harsh new environment, full of dangerous wildlife and killing heat. He starts off on a journey back to the ruins of civilization for supplies, on the way reminiscing on his childhood and all the events that led up to the final disaster- how he watched the world change and the part he played in key events.

Atwood's stories have the power to repel and fascinate me at the same time. This book really gave me the creeps- but I literally could not put it down. Astounding.

DogEar Diary ( )

Brilliant, Haunting Book

I only recently discovered Ms. Atwood and I must say that I'd like to flog myself in regret. While her writing is certainly good, it is not nearly as fabulous as her imaginings which border on genius. (All right. They are genius.) In both "Oryx and Crake" and her upcoming "Year of the Flood" she presents a dystopia that is a brilliant straight-line extrapolation of current trends.

The story unfolds in a world where corporate-sponsored gated communities are the norm. The principal character lives at the bottom of the corporate system where he/we are given insight into all the various echelons of this alien-and-yet-familiar system through his connections: his family and friends. It is absolutely fascinating to see how Atwood fleshes out this society.

The story is told by a character who churns through life, being at one time "Jimmy", "Jim" and finally "Snowman". It's as Snowman that he gives us his history. A story that flashes back and forward through time.

At first I was going to give this book a 4 or 4.5 rating. But as time passed I realized how strongly it had affected me, and given that, I can't reasonably give Orxy and Crake anything less than 5 Stars.

Not everything is ultimately resolved at the end. And the way the book is structured it would be poorer for the effort to tie everything together. Instead it is haunting and memorable.

Note: I read "Year of the Flood" first, before "Oryx and Crake". And though not in chronological order, publishing-wise, I would suggest to you to do the same. O&C explains so much that I think the surprise and novelty of "Flood" would be diminished if it was read beforehand. ( )

Oryx and Crake is Atwoodian dystopia at its very best. The world Atwood creates is so frighteningly believable that it causes us to examine our own ideas about science, religion, humanity, and exactly how much control humans can or should have over nature, and it offers us no choice but to consider the consequences of those ideas and decisions. Atwood never reveals exactly how far in the future Oryx and Crake is set, and that increases the story’s power because it feels like this world—this disaster—might not be that far away.

Read my full review at The Book Lady's Blog. ( )

It could never be said of Margaret Atwood that she writes books that are easy, comfortable, the sort of work you would curl up with on a cozy afternoon, afgan and cup of tea to hand.

It could be said of Margaret Atwood that she writes the conscience and mirror of humanity. Oryx and Crake is no exception.

Right from the moment we meet the dissolute and dispossessed Snowman, aka, Jimmy, Atwood sets a relentless pace and relentless narrative. The dystopic world she creates is one which is familiar from the classic work of Orwell and Huxley, but at the same time offers a new window on the universe, and a fresh voice to this august community.

If you haven't read Oryx and Crake, you should. Revision: you must. The book, as the writer, is absolute genius. ( )

this is the first M. Atwood I've ever read. I thought it was going to be a chick lit book book but I was pleasantly surprised. I found the distopian elements she presented to be consistent with my present concerns. A gem to come out of my home country ( )

Reason for Reading: Atwood has a new book coming out in September '09 which, while not a sequel to this one, is set in the same world and could be called a parallel novel. So I decided I should read this one first.

Comments: Humankind has been wiped out as far as we know and Snowman lives in a tree, to keep safe from the genetically altered predator animals and is the guardian over the new race of genetically created "people". Snowman alternately tells of the life he leads now with the story of his past and how "the end of the world" came to be.

It is an incredibly realistic version of a possible future that really is frightening to think about. Science has become God and anything that it can do it will do. Society encourages s*xual pursuits, body altering procedures, mind altering substances, reality TV to the extreme and all this without any morals or ethics. Any crackpot who may raise such an issue is pooh-poohed with a wave of the hand and dismissed as an insignificant insect. This is a world that in many ways we can see our own world now easily becoming. Very scary stuff.

A powerful book. Written with Atwood's usual mastery of narrative. A real-page turner and time takes on a different dimension as you read and suddenly look up and notice *that* much time has gone by already. Written only 6 years ago now, this already has become a classic of the dystopia genre and a must read for serious readers of such. ( )

I love Margaret Atwood and post-apocalyptic stories. This one is a bit of a mystery as well, as you find out what went wrong to leave Snowman all alone with "the Crakes." ( )

Wow.

I don't know what else to say. Atwood writes post-apocalyptic future as well as she does present-day and past. It reaches out and grabs you and sucks you in and you don't want to put it down. I loved this, and didn't want it to end.

Some day I'll learn to write reviews properly and be able to tell you what the flaws in this are, and *why* you should like it, but for now this will have to do. ( )

Frightful, frightful, frightful, gloomy, frightful, frightful, depressingly perverted, frightful. ( )

My most unfavourite Atwood book, and she's among my favourite authors! ( )

I really enjoyed this book and am always surprised by how many different types/genres of novels Margaret Atwood can carry out, each with perfection. I'm not that familiar with dystopic lit, but this seemed creative, almost funny in parts, thoguht-provoking, and had a touch of human compassion. It was a fast can't-put-it-down read. ( )