Genesis, by Bernard Beckett

Genesis, by Bernard Beckett
Adult Fiction, 2006 (first published in Great Britain/U.S. 2009)

The entire book (which is only 150 short pages) was written while Beckett was at a research fellowship investigating DNA mutations. It's easy to see how this book could have been fleshed out into a 500 page tome, but instead he kept it to more of a short-story format. The story is built on an interview Anaximander has for entrance into the Academy. Her expertise is the life of Adam - a man that is said to have changed the entire course of humanity. As the examination and Adam's life unfolds, hidden truths emerge, and she realizes her humanity is intricately tied to Adam's.
A fascinating read, moral dilemmas and philosophical topics are ingrained throughout. Even the irony at the revealed twist in the end brings a debate, all tied to the same question: What is humanity? Great for a book club and definitely one you want to talk about. Beware, as it has the F word in an acronym once, and plenty of the sh word. Graded a B+, although I seriously considered giving it an A-. I didn't because I don't think I'd want it on my shelf for the swearing - I have a thing against the F word, but really it was quite good.