Book Review: The Ex-Human by Michael Bérubé

So, this is exactly the kind of book I like to read: deep explorations into the themes and concepts of science fiction when it decides to have a point beyond pulp adventures. (Note: There is nothing wrong with pulpy adventures.) The author, Michael Bérubé, is a professor of Literature at Pennsylvania State University. His previous books have dealt with the issues of disability and liberal and conservative politics. He is also a science fiction fan, and his enthusiasm for the genre and its ability to envision the ethical and philosophical quandaries of possible futures or alternate presents.

In The Ex-Human Professor Bérubé analyzes a number of books that imagine post-human or no-longer-human or other-than-human futures. Many of them are also post-apocalyptic in nature, or in the middle of a slow infrastructure collapse of some kind. Among the books discussed are Liu Cixun’s The Three Body Problem, Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake, Phillip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Arthur C. Clark’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, Both Ursula LeGuin’s The Left Hand of Darkness and The Dispossessed and Octavia Butler’s Parable and Lilith’s Brood sequences. 

Paired with the discussion of the themes of these works are books about climate change and more-than-possible future environmental collapse, current political  and social justice events of the past few years, and the pandemic. As a result, this book is not a positive extrapolation of the future of humanity, but then, neither are most of the books analyzed in The Ex-Human. Professor Bérubé has interesting takes on the themes in the books he covers, and the way each author handles the themes of their works. This was a immensely readable book, though very much not a comfortable one. (Though it would be really surprising if it were, considering the works under discussion. Especially with the Parable Duology, which starts slightly hopeful and then rips your heart out with the second book…and all signs point to the possible third book being “soul-destroying,” given drafts found for the third book, according to the author.)

This was an fascinating book with interesting takes, though I have to confess I haven’t read a few of the books covered. (Oryx and Crake, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, The Dispossessed, The Three Body Problem.) On the other hand, I did read quite a few of the “Climate Change is Going to Kill Us,” books the professor mentions. (Which were also fascinating reads.)

This review is based on a copy received from NetGalley.

analysis/critique, science fiction, writer: michael bérubé, writing