Evolution

Revolution

by Tenea D. Johnson

Over a century after being gifted with exceptional genetic adaptations, William Woods still walks the earth, as strong and physically healthy as the day he was born. The country is not so fortunate. Corporations, in the hunt for his elusive genes, have ripped apart communities and twisted laws to try to cash in on his slow aging, and its promise for immortality. Their minions in the government have erased the past to control the future. To preserve his anonymity and, with it, a chance at equality for millions, he’s witnessed the deterioration of personal freedoms, ethical boundaries and basic infrastructure. But some acts he can’t just sit by and watch. In his quest to save people from being hunted down, William happens upon the survivors who will shape his destiny and the world’s fate. Now that those in power have sidelined all progress they can’t profit from, it's up to William, Lillian and us others to wrestle back evolution, lest it become one more product to manufacture cheaply, poorly and for one faction's gain.

Genres: Science Fiction

262 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2019

Reviews

[Jack Kitchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm always weary comparing one author to another, especially writers of colour, mostly because it's extremely lazy and all too often shows the lack of knowledge and experience of the reviewer, but though this book has its own style, it really feels similar to Octavia Butler's works, mostly by how much it examines the world's dystopian future shaped by White Supremacy and we need more of this.

This is a look forward on evolution shaped by corporations, climate change, racism both past, present and future and much like Butler's works it often feels all too prescient. The story is a lot more linear this time, in the preceding book: R/evolution it jumped from character's perspectives and ahead in time at a rapid clip, now instead we follow William and his unaging journey through this new world trying to preserve the history being lost. If I can say two things about this without spoiling much it'd be the dystopian gardening, which is a sadly underused story element and the fact that William's height is never played as a joke nor is he ever portrayed as a monster or a freak.

I'm just your average White person, I read and listen and take in all I can about the world and it's wrongs, I can see some of the nuances in the book with a fair clarity, but I'm sure there are unplumbed depths I'm missing. That's part of the joy of diversifying your reading, you'll ever know everything, but there's so much you can learn and apply. You can read it as a Sci-fi/Dystopian (I'm not good with genres or reviews!) story or you can read it as a warning, either way it's a enjoyable read.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good to read what happens next to William and the rest of the world as the climate changes and racial and economic injustices persist.
Science fiction, but we are asked to consider how to keep going in the face of current defeats, how to believe in a future, how a human might change their mind/mindset as a result of kindnesses.