The Philip K. Dick Award-winning sci-fi novel: "A riveting
page-turner" about the behavior of primates--human and otherwise--"in a
very near and dire future" (The Washington Post).
Winner of the 2019 Neukom Institute Literary Arts Award for
Speculative Fiction
One of The Washington Post's 50 Notable Works of fiction in 2018
In a world where coastal cities flood, dust storms plague the Midwest,
and implants connect humans directly to the Web, Dr. Francine Burk has
broken new ground in the study of primate sexuality. While in recovery
from a long-needed surgery--paid for with a portion of her McArthur
"genius" award money--Frankie is offered placement at a prestigious
research institute where she can verify her subversive scientific
discovery: her Theory of Bastards.
Leaving Manhattan for a research campus outside Kansas City, Frankie
finds that the bonobos she's studying are complex, with distinct
personalities. She comes to know them with the help of her research
partner, a man with a complicated past and perhaps a place in her
future. But when the entire campus is caught in a sudden emergency, the
lines between subject and scientist--and between colleague and
companion--begin to blur.
Audrey Schulman Award-winning 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.
