I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
✨Book Review✨
The Mother Code
by Carole Stivers
(releasing 8.25.20 from Berkley)
I think we all fall into one of two camps when it comes to reading about pandemics in the middle of a pandemic:
1. Uh no, way too meta.
2. ohhh yes, let me see what the similarities and differences are here...
I fall firmly in the second camp. I have loved dystopian, pandemic, and post-apocalyptic novels for about 20 years and I'm still loving them in the midst of our current world health crisis. I started reading this book in mid-April...right at the beginning of our current coronavirus pandemic and whoa was it intense. The release date kept getting pushed back so I held off on reviewing, but now it's almost out in the world and I want to put it on the radar of my fellow readers!
In the novel, a bioterrorism agent (IC-NAN) is rapidly spreading to wipe out almost all of humanity, causing government scientists to speed up their "New Dawn" project to ensure the survival of the human race by placing genetically engineered and IC-NAN-immune embryos inside of "mother" robots. These flying robots are then sent to top-secret coordinates in Utah to oversee each child's incubation period, birth, and then raise them in the new world. Each robot is equipped with the means to provide food, water, and education. They are also imprinted with "The Mother Code" computer code, "meant to embody the very essence of motherhood" for the children. As the children age, their Mothers transform in unpredictable ways, resulting in the few remaining government survivors believing they must now be destroyed.
I found this debut novel absolutely fascinating and thought-provoking. It is heavy on the science part of science fiction, with discussions of testing protocols, genetic sequencing, bionic tissues, etc. The story brought up great questions such as: "Can we use deep learning to teach a machine to think like a human?" and "What makes a mother?"
Also pictured: my "mothering" meal for the family. One of the only ones that everyone likes, chicken and pasta with broccoli.
The Mother Code
by Carole Stivers
(releasing 8.25.20 from Berkley)
I think we all fall into one of two camps when it comes to reading about pandemics in the middle of a pandemic:
1. Uh no, way too meta.
2. ohhh yes, let me see what the similarities and differences are here...
I fall firmly in the second camp. I have loved dystopian, pandemic, and post-apocalyptic novels for about 20 years and I'm still loving them in the midst of our current world health crisis. I started reading this book in mid-April...right at the beginning of our current coronavirus pandemic and whoa was it intense. The release date kept getting pushed back so I held off on reviewing, but now it's almost out in the world and I want to put it on the radar of my fellow readers!
In the novel, a bioterrorism agent (IC-NAN) is rapidly spreading to wipe out almost all of humanity, causing government scientists to speed up their "New Dawn" project to ensure the survival of the human race by placing genetically engineered and IC-NAN-immune embryos inside of "mother" robots. These flying robots are then sent to top-secret coordinates in Utah to oversee each child's incubation period, birth, and then raise them in the new world. Each robot is equipped with the means to provide food, water, and education. They are also imprinted with "The Mother Code" computer code, "meant to embody the very essence of motherhood" for the children. As the children age, their Mothers transform in unpredictable ways, resulting in the few remaining government survivors believing they must now be destroyed.
I found this debut novel absolutely fascinating and thought-provoking. It is heavy on the science part of science fiction, with discussions of testing protocols, genetic sequencing, bionic tissues, etc. The story brought up great questions such as: "Can we use deep learning to teach a machine to think like a human?" and "What makes a mother?"
Also pictured: my "mothering" meal for the family. One of the only ones that everyone likes, chicken and pasta with broccoli.
No comments
Post a Comment