Hey world! Even though this is a post for work, Don't leave it right now for I think it is a good occasion to make a first presentation of a non-manga work, for today's post will be about a sci-fi book,
The Ones!
As the most clever will have noticed, it is a book wrote by Daniel Sweren Becker that was released on September the 6th of 2016 by the Imprint edition. This book isn't very well known, mostly because it is quite recent, but I think it deserves some attention for it talks about something we could have to deal with sooner than we think: Genetical Manipulation. Well, you will get to realize it after I tell you guys about the plot.
In a slightly futuristic world, the Governement decided to experience the principle of Gene selection on 1% of newborn babies each year, making them perfect individuals known as "The Ones". During their youth, the Ones are noticed as perfect individuals, pretty, good at sport, having good grades, the highest quality of the population, and our main character, Cody, is proud that her and her boyfriend James are part of this 1%, considering it as a luck. Unfortunately, this is not everyone's opinion, an the association "Equality" starts criticizing the Ones, that would be taking away normal people's chances because of their so told perfection. After a few time of campaign, Equality reaches its first purpose by making the Ones officially illegal. This is where the real story starts, for persecution against the ones is being encouraged all over the World, and in order to "equilibrate" the balance, they are given additional disadvantages to drag them down in front of the rest of the population. As some of the Ones are accepting this situation and trying to calm things down by showing a will of peace, a group of rebellious ones is created, and their leader Kye chooses the use of terrorism as a mean to get back their rights, a movement in which Cody will take part, unwillingly taking James with her. As she is going to go deeper in illegality, James is going to be torn apart between the perfect image he has to keep in front of his family, for he is a replacement of a son they lost, and his will to help his loved one.
Obviously, the main characters are both James and Cody, but others could be considered so, mainly Kai, the leader of the rebellion, Norton, who is like the leader of the forces against the neo-Weatherman, which is the group of Ones, and James's father, who is a scientist secretly working on a chemical that would take off the One's advantages, reducing their abilities.
As you can see, this is not only raising the question of gene selection, but also the legitimacy of the governement's decision and the application of justice when individuals are at stake. This could be described as the story of a generation in a world where Human kind would have globally lost its moral, its humanity.
In addition, you could come to ask yourself what is good and justified and what revendications cannot justify, mostly with the character of Cody. If both James and cody have the noble qualities and will for self- sacrifice to be qualified as heroes, and even almost superheroes as they are perfect human-beings, Cody is a bit more difficult to agree with. At first she chooses to fight against "Equality" for justice, but after what she will experience during the story, it is obstination and the will for revenge that will make her keep fighting. All along the story, she will get deeper into illegality and terrorism, and even if you think her fight is a bit justified, you can't help but tell yourself that she is going too far, and she has to be placed in both hero and anti-hero category.
Gene selection is supposed to be a cutting age advance, a concern that would have appeared a few time ago with the many advances of science, but the Idea of a perfect man, that got rid of mere human's limitations and imperfections, is not that recent. Indeed, this corresponds to the Greek myth of Pygmalion, a sculptor who wasn't interested in women or humans in general, but that once sculpted a statue of a woman so perfect and beautiful that he fell in love with it. Eventually, after winning a contest on Aphrodite's festival day, the goddess answered his wish and made his ivory woman come human, so that he could marry her. With this myth, we can see that this will of perfection of humanity is something that keeps running through the ages without a distinction of technical limitations.
Well; this is it, hope it gave you some will to read this book, for it really deserves some more attention than it has for now. As this is partly a work post, the gift won't be for that one, but if you are curious I could give you clues in the comment section, so as always don't hesitate in writing some, I'll read them all and take them into account.
Oh, also as I have no good pic to close this post, it will be an announce of the next free post, and it's not a manga again!
Bye Guys!
The Mad Hatter
In addition, you could come to ask yourself what is good and justified and what revendications cannot justify, mostly with the character of Cody. If both James and cody have the noble qualities and will for self- sacrifice to be qualified as heroes, and even almost superheroes as they are perfect human-beings, Cody is a bit more difficult to agree with. At first she chooses to fight against "Equality" for justice, but after what she will experience during the story, it is obstination and the will for revenge that will make her keep fighting. All along the story, she will get deeper into illegality and terrorism, and even if you think her fight is a bit justified, you can't help but tell yourself that she is going too far, and she has to be placed in both hero and anti-hero category.
Gene selection is supposed to be a cutting age advance, a concern that would have appeared a few time ago with the many advances of science, but the Idea of a perfect man, that got rid of mere human's limitations and imperfections, is not that recent. Indeed, this corresponds to the Greek myth of Pygmalion, a sculptor who wasn't interested in women or humans in general, but that once sculpted a statue of a woman so perfect and beautiful that he fell in love with it. Eventually, after winning a contest on Aphrodite's festival day, the goddess answered his wish and made his ivory woman come human, so that he could marry her. With this myth, we can see that this will of perfection of humanity is something that keeps running through the ages without a distinction of technical limitations.
Well; this is it, hope it gave you some will to read this book, for it really deserves some more attention than it has for now. As this is partly a work post, the gift won't be for that one, but if you are curious I could give you clues in the comment section, so as always don't hesitate in writing some, I'll read them all and take them into account.
Oh, also as I have no good pic to close this post, it will be an announce of the next free post, and it's not a manga again!
Bye Guys!
At first sight, this is serious, interesting and attractive-looking to potential readers.
ReplyDeleteA good effort, Gaspard.
That said, you were also expected to publish the unfinished post on the Thyssen Museum art exhibition review. Where is it?