MaddAdam Trilogy
Maybe a better term than Underrated is OVERSHADOWED. There are several books and films and albums that could be in this boat. Works of great, award-winning artists that are overshadowed by another more popular, accessible, or promoted piece. The great song from the album that didn’t get picked up on the radio so you don’t know the words, but should. The book that didn’t get the movie deal but should. For Margaret Atwood, author of The Handmaid’s Tale (1985) that transitioned into a Hulu series, I believe her MaddAdam Trilogy could fall into this category. The Handmaid’s Tale is great, eerily prophetic, and deserving of the well-crafted series. But I wish more people would look at the MaddAdam books. There seems to be a trend with authors like Gillian Flynn after Gone Girl (2012 book/2014 film) or John Green after The Fault in Our Stars (2012 book/2014 film). Where one book is adapted and received well so their full catalog is given the green light. I wish the same would be done with some of Atwood’s work.
The MaddAdam trilogy continues Atwood’s trend of cautionary tales, disguised as science fiction. The main story revolves around genetic experimentation, pharmaceutical engineering, and corporate dominance gone wrong. The first novel Oryx and Crake (2003) focuses on Snowman, Oryx, and Crake. Three children who grew up in corporate compounds. There are no real towns or cities in this future. Instead, huge multinational corporations have split up the land. And where you live, your neighborhood, your school, your future—your privilege—depends on your place within the company. These companies get too greedy and start experimenting with genetic mutations, medicine, and eventually creating alternative livestock—then humans. The novel takes place in a dystopian world following a catastrophe sparked by this greed.
The second novel The Year of the Flood (2009) jumps to another group of characters. There is a religious sect born in response to the event. They call themselves God’s Gardeners. The characters were in a lower class during the events of the first novel so you get a new perspective, set farther from the epicenter of the disaster. The novel explores more of the religious and societal ramifications. There is kind of a Mad Max feel to it. With gladiator-style games, rogue packs, and all that.
The parallel storylines of the first two novels are drawn together for the finale, MaddAdam (2013). The characters come together to form the foundations of a new civilization. It is not just a continuation. There is a lot of jumping back and forth to fill in the gaps. But more than the character drama, you see the themes of environmentalism, religion, and scientific responsibility blend.
I found this series after watching Handmaid’s Tale, interested in what else Margaret Atwood has done. This trilogy is a great find for anyone intrigued by her style of real social commentary being crafted into a science-fiction world. The story is wild and horrifying enough, but she maintains the mystery with the non-linear storytelling. What I enjoyed most were the multiple perspectives. The characters had unique beliefs and responses to the events. You observe it from all sides.
