The book
WINNER 2019 Philip K. Dick Award for BEST Science Fiction
Life is finally worth living for Francine. After the years stolen by unbearable, undiagnosed pain, a recent surgery has provided a cure. And her subversive scientific discovery, the “Theory of Bastards,” which has unseated public figures and past presidents, has rewarded her with a generous grant and a prestigious placement at The Foundation. Now she is beginning further research on a group of remarkable animals, bonobos.
She makes steady progress until storms of dry winds sweep out of the abandoned places, and the scientists retreat to safety. Only a select few stay behind, with Francine and the man she has come to love, to weather the storm and protect their simian research subjects. Through the dusty aftermath, the possibility of a new and better world becomes clear.
Not quite sci-fi, not quite dystopian, this superb literary novel defies categorization. Readers will shiver as they keep turning the pages. Audrey Schulman has once again written a spellbinding, original novel that never loses sight of its humanity.
The author
Audrey Schulman
Audrey Schulman is the author of four previous novels: Three Weeks in December (Europa, 2012), Swimming With Jonah, The Cage, and A House Named Brazil. Her work has been translated into eleven languages. Born in Montreal, she now lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she runs HEET, a non-profit.
Press
- Oct 31 2018
“...an intimate, generous and thought-provoking novel.”
— Locus Magazine - May 9 2018
“A riveting page-turner”
— The Washington Post - Apr 24 2018
“...a rare find within today's reading landscape."
— Foreward Reviews - Feb 19 2018
Theory of Bastards Starred Review
— Publishers Weekly - Feb 6 2018
Theory of Bastards Starred Review
— Kirkus Reviews - Jan 24 2018
“Singular, inventive, and provocative...”
— Foreword Reviews