Oryx and Crake

After graduating from Martha Graham, Jimmy moved in with his then-girlfriend and some artists who claimed that human society was a monster that “made the same cretinous mistakes over and over.” They also believed that even air and light would soon be artificial, as earth’s oxygen layers and ozone would be destroyed.

Finally, Jimmy found a job at a compound called AnooYoo. His role involved promotion, in line with the company’s claim to offer people perfection. He had expected his girlfriend to be pleased, but a friend of hers had committed suicide after a failed attempt to cure depression, wrinkles, and insomnia courtesy of AnooYoo.

Jimmy spent his days writing marketing spiels for AnooYoo products and found this work depressing. He had broken up with his girlfriend. Meanwhile, his father and Ramona were trying for a baby, and Ramona said that, if they did not succeed soon, they would “try ‘something else’ from one of the agencies – Infantade, Foetility, Perfectababe.”

Crake was working at the most powerful compound, RejoovenEsense, and his Uncle Pete had died of a virus—seemingly a result of sabotage. When Jimmy asked if Crake was present during all this, Crake had replied “In a manner of speaking.