Upgrade by Blake Crouch
With Blake Crouch, there are a few things guaranteed. The staples or elements we have come to 'expect' as normal : Surefire thrill rides, high-tech science-fictional concepts and a very humane central character stuck in the middle of all this. He excels in taking mind-bending premises and setting it within believable circumstances, crafting out bleeding edge thrillers with enough heart and he is always questioning, questioning the choices our society can take. Or will take, rather.
With Upgrade his latest novel, he trains his guns on the rather esoteric topic of gene-mapping and how this concept can be twisted enough in the wrong hands to lead to a catastrophe for the human race. He claims it is his love-letter to our species, even quotes Yuval Noah on his views for Homo Deus, the next gen evolution of human beings, aka Homo sapiens.
As always - Blake strikes the perfect balance with exposition of "sciency" stuff - and there's a lot to unpack here, what with gene-sequences, multiple experiments on 'upgrades' and more - with explosive thrillers. Headlining this act is Logan Ramsay - A failed gene-scientist, son of a megalomaniacal genius inventor and now GPA (gene protection agency, a sub-division within FBI, with lesser jurisdiction, focused only on finding out rogue gene-experiments on the black market ) agent. He's in search of redemption for an unintentional mass genocide caused due to a gene-experiment headed by his genius mother, who has committed suicide, unable to bear the weight of such large-scale guilt. And hence this stint at GPA, focused on avoiding any more such events.
During one such raids, he accidentally gets exposed to a dose to gene-modifiers, which basically caused him to become a "super-human" for lack of a better qualifier. Read, better genes that helps him improve bone density, reduces stress or pain, increases endurance, stamina and most importantly, expands his brain to ensure that he can now remember pretty much everything he has ever read. He is hunted down by his own agency for this and then put under observation. Eventually, he is broken out by his own sister and both of them realise they both have been made pawns in a much larger conspiracy at play. And what is at stake, isn't just their own futures but the entire humankind, headed for extinction.
Like his previous novels, Dark Matter or Recursion - Upgrade deals with vastly ambitious topics. But personally, I thought I enjoyed Dark Matter and Recursion a lot more than Upgrade. What makes them different from the current book in question, is the personal stakes involved. And here, I paraphrase one of the best lines in the book about human beings' ability to empathize. Or rather a readers' ability to connect to his characters and the stakes involved. Our 'hero' goals to find a better way to save the humanity is noble enough but for this, being the 'superhero' he is, he has to go way beyond his family. The action sequences are bang-on, the pacing just right and the juxtaposition of science with the thrill-ride a perfectly balanced ride. But despite all this, I felt just a bit off. Don't get me wrong, it's a fabulous book in the tradition of everything Blake Crouch and the research that has gone into making this happen, must have been phenomenal. But I just found myself skimming over the parts where Logan tries to reason out and explain himself ( aka to the readers) why and what he is doing.
I couldn't wait to figure out 'how' he solved the problems.
With Upgrade his latest novel, he trains his guns on the rather esoteric topic of gene-mapping and how this concept can be twisted enough in the wrong hands to lead to a catastrophe for the human race. He claims it is his love-letter to our species, even quotes Yuval Noah on his views for Homo Deus, the next gen evolution of human beings, aka Homo sapiens.
As always - Blake strikes the perfect balance with exposition of "sciency" stuff - and there's a lot to unpack here, what with gene-sequences, multiple experiments on 'upgrades' and more - with explosive thrillers. Headlining this act is Logan Ramsay - A failed gene-scientist, son of a megalomaniacal genius inventor and now GPA (gene protection agency, a sub-division within FBI, with lesser jurisdiction, focused only on finding out rogue gene-experiments on the black market ) agent. He's in search of redemption for an unintentional mass genocide caused due to a gene-experiment headed by his genius mother, who has committed suicide, unable to bear the weight of such large-scale guilt. And hence this stint at GPA, focused on avoiding any more such events.
During one such raids, he accidentally gets exposed to a dose to gene-modifiers, which basically caused him to become a "super-human" for lack of a better qualifier. Read, better genes that helps him improve bone density, reduces stress or pain, increases endurance, stamina and most importantly, expands his brain to ensure that he can now remember pretty much everything he has ever read. He is hunted down by his own agency for this and then put under observation. Eventually, he is broken out by his own sister and both of them realise they both have been made pawns in a much larger conspiracy at play. And what is at stake, isn't just their own futures but the entire humankind, headed for extinction.
Like his previous novels, Dark Matter or Recursion - Upgrade deals with vastly ambitious topics. But personally, I thought I enjoyed Dark Matter and Recursion a lot more than Upgrade. What makes them different from the current book in question, is the personal stakes involved. And here, I paraphrase one of the best lines in the book about human beings' ability to empathize. Or rather a readers' ability to connect to his characters and the stakes involved. Our 'hero' goals to find a better way to save the humanity is noble enough but for this, being the 'superhero' he is, he has to go way beyond his family. The action sequences are bang-on, the pacing just right and the juxtaposition of science with the thrill-ride a perfectly balanced ride. But despite all this, I felt just a bit off. Don't get me wrong, it's a fabulous book in the tradition of everything Blake Crouch and the research that has gone into making this happen, must have been phenomenal. But I just found myself skimming over the parts where Logan tries to reason out and explain himself ( aka to the readers) why and what he is doing.
I couldn't wait to figure out 'how' he solved the problems.
Anyways - long story short, Upgrade is a solid new instalment of Blake Crouch. Well worth your time yes, full of mind blowingly arcane concepts becoming the trigger for an explosive race against time, with a fully fleshed out main protagonist leading us down the rabbit's hole in search of answers and blowing our mind wide open. Personally, not a 5-star compared to Recursion or Dark Matter but it's just me. Recommended!
Comments