Book number 538 of my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project
I picked this up on the day before Margaret Atwood's 86th birthday. I have always enjoyed her take on the world, even if it's a dystopian one like this. Maybe especially if it's dystopian. I had just recently heard a radio interview she did while promoting her new memoir and the old gal is still feisty. (Former interviewers have advised to do your research, have your questions, but ignore that script and follow where Atwood leads you. Never assume that you'll be driving the car.)
In this novel, we get to know God's Gardeners from the inside. Toby is rescued by them at the behest of one of her former coworkers and feels obliged to be useful and to try her best. Much to her surprise, Toby rises to the top tier of this organization. At this point, she discovers that the Gardeners are more than just gentle, earnest environmentalists. I wonder if members of environmental organizations in our world have similar realizations as they become more involved? I have always felt, from my experience volunteering for environmental causes, that the movement has the devotion of a religion. Not a bad thing, just an observation as a part-time acolyte.
Atwood has created an uncannily real-feeling cult for her post-apocalyptic world. Of course the elders are referred to as Adams and Eves. In my opinion, Atwood is a keen observer of human behaviour. She writes her characters with all the foibles that we are liable to display. There's Zeb, the Gardener who still enjoys eating meat and going on missions into the pleeblands. There's also Burt the Knob who is known for grabbing the young women and ends up arrested for running a cannabis grow-op under the Gardeners' noses. The young men who drink the discarded booze they find instead of bringing it to the vinegar workshop. And yet, the Gardeners mostly manage to live a life of restraint, living lightly on the planet, following vegan diets, and upcycling what others throw away.
I think Atwood's childhood spent in the Canadian wilderness with her entomologist father provides a basis for her obvious love of science and keeping abreast of the latest research. One of the reasons that she has resisted the label of science fiction is because she states that everything she writes is possible with current technology and, in her mind, sci fi involves currently impossible things. She seems more comfortable with the term speculative fiction to describe her work. I think she is just basically resistant to being labelled in general. Her insistence on sticking to real world technology and events often makes her novels appear prophetic.
Atwood's talent as a poet is displayed in the hymns that she showcases at the beginning of each section of the book. I loved their natural history references and commentary on human society. In this world the corporations have taken over the power positions (at least until the Dry Flood). It is reminiscent of C.J. Cherryh's Company Wars series or the ruthless corporates of Martha Wells’ Murderbot. In short, there's a lot going on plus lots to think about with the many layers built into the tale.
”Let us forgive the killers of the Elephant, and the exterminators of the Tiger; and those that slaughtered the Bear for its gall bladder, and the Shark for its cartilage, and the Rhinoceros for its horn. May we forgive them freely, as we may hope to be forgiven by God, who holds our frail Cosmos in His hand, and keeps it safe through His endless Love.”
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