Author(s): Audrey Schulman

Novel | Crime and Thriller | Dystopia, Science Fiction and Fantasy | Fiction Reductions

"Stage four. Surgery. Recovering." While those are the simple words that once described Dr. Francine Burk's situation, the reality is much more complex. Her new reality is bacon rinds for breakfast and feeling unduly thrilled by her increasing ability to walk across a room without assistance. And it's being offered a placement at a prestigious research institute where she can put to good use her recent award money. With the Foundation's advanced technological resources and a group of fascinating primates, Francine can begin to verify her subversive scientific discovery, which has challenged the foundations of history--her Theory of Bastards.

Frankie finds that the bonobos she's studying are as complex as the humans she's working alongside. Their personalities are strong and distinct, and reigning over it all is Mama, the commanding matriarchal leader of the group. Frankie comes to know the bonobos and to further develop her groundbreaking theory with the help of her research partner, a man with a complicated past and perhaps a place in her future. And then something changes everything, and the lines that divide them--between subject and scientist, between colleague and companion--begin to blur.

With deft skill and heartbreaking honesty, Audrey Schulman delves into the very nature of her characters. Her newest novel explores the nuances of communication, the implications of unquestioned technological advancement, and the enduring power of love in a way that is essential and urgent in today's world. This thrilling literary novel will resonate, long after the final page is turned.

Review:

Praise for Theory of Bastards

"[...] a riveting page-turner about bonobos [...] In the second half you will be unable to look away from the page, hardly be able to draw a breath [...] in creating white-knuckle tension or describing sudden violence, Schulman can rival any of our more famous thriller writers."--Michael Dirda, The Washington Post

"And, fittingly, it is Frankie's take on the 'benefit in having the lover's baby rather than the husband's' (in other words, the theory of bastards) that both gives the novel its title and marks the culmination of Schulman's quixotic yet surprisingly successful attempt to fashion the scientific study of human and bonobo sexual preferences into enthralling fiction."--The Globe and Mail

"Ms. Schulman is a swift, confident, engaging writer who wields her considerable research--the novel includes a five-page appendix documenting her sources--with a nimble touch."--The Wall Street Journal

"Ms Schulman's finest novel yet is an examination of sexual relations, the 'careful theatre' of civilisation, and humanity's responsibilities in a rapidly changing world. It is both an edifying read and an exhilarating one."--The Economist

"Theory of Bastards is lifted by its science, flecked like mica throughout the story [...] The writer skillfully weaves fact with fiction. Her chapters are short, her sentences clipped and efficient, if not beautiful [...] a clever story about female desire with its own fascinating origins."--Newsday

"[A] deeply unusual, psychologically astute novel about technology and survival, sex and love. [...] Beguiling, irreverent, and full of heart."--Kirkus (Starred Review)

"[A] wonderful, intricate novel [...] set in the palpably near future [...and] a propulsive story rooted in a future that feels possible. The incorporation of research into the narrative is seamless, and the result is an astute, impeccable page-turner readers will savor."
--Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

"Singular, inventive, and provocative, Theory of Bastards warrants attention."--Foreword Reviews

"Schulman has written a futuristic tale that places animals and people on a journey of survival. Francine is a reproductive scientist and is doing research on bonobos monkeys. These gentle animals are very intelligent and communicative. In the midst of this landscape natural disaster occurs and man and monkey must flee their habitat to escape disaster. A fascinating look at the cooperation between man and beast and the attachments that are forged. Awesome!"--Stephanie Crowe, Page & Palette

"This is the most absorbing novel I've read all year! Page after ravishingly vivid page, Audrey Schulman creates a not-far-in-the-future world that feels as real as our own. The science she draws on is 100 percent accurate, the technology she foresees is completely believable, and the relationships between the humans and bonobos are among the richest and most compelling of any personal connections described in literature. And the ending--wow."--Sy Montgomery, author of The Soul of an Octopus