Oryx and Crake

by Margaret Atwood

First published 2009

Jimmy once had a name, friends, and a future. Now he calls himself Snowman and wanders through ruins where a great city once stood. A plague has swept away mankind, leaving him possibly the sole human survivor in a world overrun by wilderness. He grieves for Crake, his brilliant best friend who engineered their civilization's downfall, and for Oryx, the enigmatic woman they both desired. The green-eyed Children of Crake, genetically modified beings who survived the catastrophe, accompany Snowman as he journeys through the transformed landscape. Powerful corporations had pushed genetic engineering beyond all limits, and their reckless experiments brought about humanity's end. As Snowman searches for understanding in this new world, he confronts the weight of love, loss, and survival.

Genres: science-fiction, dystopia, literary-fiction, post-apocalyptic

Vibes: atmospheric, dark, thought-provoking

Tropes: found-family, unreliable-narrator

Setting: Ruins, City

Period: Post-Apocalyptic

389 pages · Paperback · Anchor Books

Content warnings: death, violence

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