In a world crippled by biotech apocalypse…

"People with packs are people with purpose."

Jeff Vandermeer beautifully paints a dystopian imagery in his latest title, Borne. He welcomes the readers to a dangerous city by a toxic sea, littered by failed experiments and derelict properties, thick with threats and cold blooded scavengers, ruled by Mord – a mammoth flying bear.

The story is told from the perspective of Rachel, who finds a featureless creature in a resting Mord's fur while in one of her scavenging missions. Mord is one of the failed projects of a biotech company, which stands as the main cause of the city's destruction. While resting, the animal is a scavenging hub for many since one never knows what salvage one might pluck off its huge body. At first, Borne (as Rachel calls it) is just a green lump, exhibiting different colours, fist sized. Along with time, it expands, learns reading and talking, and becomes a shapeshifter – rock, lizard, flower vase, etc. To Rachel's woe, Borne's unintentional acts pose a major threat to her and Wick's sanctuary – safely hidden from the gazes of scavengers and other menaces. Though Wick, a former employee of the responsible company, dislikes Borne given its acts often land them in trouble, Rachel always defends it; she grows a deep bond with the biotech salvage. With new threats rising in the city alongside nurturing Borne with its precarious behaviours and stumbling across shocking revelations, Rachel finds herself on a thin rope between the decisions that are beneficial for her and Wick, but harmful for Borne.

I must say, Vandermeer is a talented author. The way he breathed life into a non-living, shapeless lump and made it one of the central characters of the book was amazing. Other than the unique characteristics of the biotech Borne, Mord the bear also managed to draw a huge portion of attention since everyone in the city is scared of it. For the record, Mord is almost five storeys high. In this strange world of Vandermeer, there are inventions like diagnostic beetles that are frequently used by many to relax and heal wounds. Artificial creatures are also seen throughout the progressions – like the feral children having contaminated claws.

Honestly, the sci-fi-dystopian vibes that met me while reading the synopsis got me hooked. And the book absolutely did justice to my first impression. Even though the "edge of your seat" events begin late, the necessarily slow world building and history telling captivate the readers.  The book is strangely intriguing, and I'd totally recommend this to everyone. However, if Vandermeer had introduced more characters, it would've been better. Despite not doing so, he surely nailed a limited character packed setting, each character aptly configured.

If you want to try something new, Borne is not to be missed.

Shah Tazrian Ashrafi wants his life to be like stormtroopers: always missing easy kill shots. Send him prayers at tazrian1234@gmail.com