In The Power, women become a weapon that upends society, while in I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself, the government's use of shadows as a form of punishment creates a world where shame and guilt are weaponized. Similarities between Crane’s recently released I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself and The Power lie in their dip into power dynamics, gender roles, oppressive societal control, and how our familial emotional relationships impact us. The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan You wouldn’t think a genetically altered pig could make you laugh, but it does. Despite the dark tones in Atwood’s book, there’s still a considerable amount of the author’s wry sense of humor. After a plague destroys most of the world, Jimmy believes he’s the last remaining human now reluctantly coexisting with genetically altered beings named “Crakers,” after their creator Glenn, who renamed himself to Crake years earlier. Years later, they boys lose touch - Glenn goes on to become a god-like idol in the science world, while Jimmy deals with a series of addictive behaviors and goes to work in advertising.

The foundation of their childhood experiences, from the clips they watch to sneaking around in the compound’s scientific labs, greatly impacts both boys, Glenn more so than Jimmy. They play a computer game called “Extinctathon” and watch horrific videos to pass the time. Jimmy’s parents fight relentlessly, and he eventually finds a companion in Glenn, a genius kid in his neighborhood who is also emotionally stunted.

Jimmy’s dad helps to create pig hybrids used for human organ harvesting, and his mother becomes a vocal dissenter in their über-capitalist world. Oryx and Crake is the first in this futuristic dystopian series and begins with the character Jimmy, who is raised in a compound owned by a company his father works for called Organ Inc. Yes, The Handmaid’s Tale is also a dystopian tale, but it’s her MaddAddam trilogy that is brilliant and edgy in all the ways The Power is. Except it isn’t the one you’re likely to think of. Naomi Alderman has mentioned in interviews that the famed author Margaret Atwood acted as her mentor while she wrote The Power - so it should come as no surprise that one of Atwood’s best is on this list.

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