Gemsigns

I seem to be reading a lot of social science fiction lately. Given the old "too much of anything" adage about excess, you'd think adding one more to the pile would have diminished my enjoyment or value of the experience. Now, with the average book that might be true. But then, Stephanie Saulter's Gemsigns is anything BUT an average book.

Taking place over a period of about a week, the book plays out like a flurry of quick punches, with every shot finding its mark. And I have to say, Saulter got in a couple good ones to my gut, not to mention a few more jabs to my poor battered heart. Still, while most of it flew hard and fast, I find there's also a strangely mesmerizing quality to the story. A lot of this is in the gradual reveal of the current state of affairs, as well as what's at stake for everyone involved. There's a sense of inevitably to the unfolding events, knowing that every act of violence that comes to light is yet another step closer to an explosive conclusion.

These kinds of books always get me for some reason. No doubt a lot of it can be chalked up to personal interest, as I've always been fascinated by stories that explore what it means to be human. Well before it became time to even think about college, I'd already known I wanted to go into Anthropology, that wonderful and broad discipline dedicated to answering this very question. Years later now, I still remember what one of my professors once told our class about human variation – that it is a thing so vast, any attempt to define "normal" is rendered kind of moot.

Gemsigns reminded me of that. The book is set in the not-so-far-off future, not long after humanity had suffered the effects of a devastating virus that almost wiped us out. To survive meant genetically modifying almost every new person born on this planet, but in order to repopulate and rebuild, the engineers went further. They created different kinds of genetically modified humans ("Gems"), tailoring them to specific duties that needed performing, with minimal thought to their quality of life or well-being. Gems were essentially nothing but humanity's tools.

After a century of being perceived as nothing more than property, the Declaration finally freed gems from their servitude but didn't translate or clarify their rights and status in the global legal system. To approach this issue, Dr. Eli Walker (an anthropologist, YAY!) has the task of putting together a proposal deciding whether gems are truly human. Meanwhile, certain factions want to take advantage of this period of instability, like the gemtech companies that would like to see everything return to the pre-Declaration days, or the godgangs who just want to see gems dead, period. Fortunately, the gems have Aryel Morningstar, their charismatic spokesperson who will do all she can to ensure that their voices will be heard.

What makes Gemsigns such a powerful novel is that despite its futuristic setting or its science fiction label, it is still utterly significant and relevant to the world today. Folks, this is what a great piece of social science fiction looks like. Each time I squirmed with discomfort over the nightmarish treatment of gems, or every time I pondered a question regarding an ethical issue, I knew it was the book doing its job. And it was good at it.

As I alluded to before, Saulter utilized a steady, measured approach when it came to laying out the novel's situation. It's a gripping story, though the suspense and intensity I felt here is more akin to that of a riveting courtroom drama, rather than say, an action-thriller. I appreciated this gradual, detail-oriented rise towards the climax, though at times I felt the pacing was a bit too restrained, resulting in a couple lulls in the story. But in the end, the author delivered the stunning ending I wanted. If I had been standing while I was reading the last few chapters, I think I would have needed to sit down. It was JUST. THAT. WHOA.

Well-written and thought provoking, Gemsigns is an all-around superb debut from Stephanie Saulter, and another winner from Jo Fletcher Books. I'm already anticipating great things for Binary, the second book in the ®Evolution sequence, which I will definitely be checking out soon.