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Audrey Schulman: Theory of bastards (2018)

"Stage four. Surgery. Recovering." While those are the simple words that once described Dr. Francine …

Theory of Bastards - 4 Stars

I saw this on Jeff VanderMeer's list of climate fiction recommendations in the New York Times. It's focused on Frankie, a MacArthur genius grant recipient who is studying bonobos. Her experience with endometriosis is an important part of the book. I appreciated the unsettling dystopian aspects of the novel (e.g., E-musement screens that won't turn off, malfunctioning "bodyware" implants, etc.), and the climate elements were well done also (e.g., a massive dust storm). The bonobos are truly fascinating and are significant characters in the story. In the second half, it started to feel like more of a thriller, but then it began to drag a bit and get somewhat repetitive. There were also few times when I thought that certain thoughts or dialogue didn't ring true or quite make sense in the context (same with some NY vs. Midwest tropes), but those are minor complaints. Overall it was very interesting and engaging.