Oryx and Crake

Oryx and Crake : a novel / Margaret Atwood.— New York : Nan A. Talese, 2003.
376 p. ; 25 cm.
1st American edition
ISBN: 0385503857

1. Dystopias. 2. Genetic engineering – Fiction. 3. Human beings – Extinction – Fiction. 4. Male friendship – Fiction. 5. Science fiction. 6. Triangles (Interpersonal relations) – Fiction.

813.54

Snowman was formerly known as Jimmy, but his friends and colleagues all adopted the names of extinct species, like Crake and Oryx. He renamed himself Abominable Snowman, or just Snowman for short; he doesn’t want to come across as too frightening to those under his care. Snowman is, like his namesake, slowly melting away, but not from the tropical sun. Although it’s warm enough that he only needs a sheet for clothing, he can’t get enough food and he’s wasting away from malnutrition. His charges, the children of Crake, are able to live off the raw vegetation of the land because they have been genetically engineered that way. Snowman can’t, and he lives in constant fear of an infection or being attacked by the wolvogs or pigoons. He frets and wonders how did things get so bad?