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Revolution
R/evolution
People are starving, biogenetic adaptations are prevalent amongst the privileged, and the poor are being ground to a sharp and dangerous point. This is the future US where in the struggle for survival citizens are pushed to the breaking point as relationships start to fracture along the lines of class and race. These are stories of the leaders and the followers, the victims, heroes, and the everyday people caught in history’s wake, chief among them Dr. Ezekiel Carter, a genius in his field who decides to offer genetic reparations to those being left behind. In this world, what will become of the people at the fringes and more than that of humanity itself?
161 pages, Paperback
First published November 11, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
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May 24, 2019A novel about a future USA destroyed by brutal anti-Black racism, wealth inequality, lack of healthcare and climate change. So, barely SF at all, really. The basic premise traces Ezekiel, a brilliant geneticist who genetically engineers babies of the poor as reparations, but it spans about fifty years and three generations.
What's weird is, it's novella length but it isn't a novella. It reads somewhere between linked short stories and extracts from a 600pp SF family saga. The reader gets a section of the story, and then the next section is five or ten years on and we have to fill in the missing bits.
I am not sure how I feel about that tbh in that I actually wanted to read the full novel, to get the love story and the character arcs and the betrayals and losses on the page. I didn't engage emotionally in the way I would definitely have done at full length because it was a great, well developed world and the characters were compelling even only getting a fraction of the story. (From my novel-loving perspective, that is: the author obv told the story as she wanted, in these sections.) I'm going to be musing on this one for a while.
What's weird is, it's novella length but it isn't a novella. It reads somewhere between linked short stories and extracts from a 600pp SF family saga. The reader gets a section of the story, and then the next section is five or ten years on and we have to fill in the missing bits.
I am not sure how I feel about that tbh in that I actually wanted to read the full novel, to get the love story and the character arcs and the betrayals and losses on the page. I didn't engage emotionally in the way I would definitely have done at full length because it was a great, well developed world and the characters were compelling even only getting a fraction of the story. (From my novel-loving perspective, that is: the author obv told the story as she wanted, in these sections.) I'm going to be musing on this one for a while.
January 1, 2020
First read of the year and what an amazing one at that! This is a novella/ a series of interconnected stories about the war for reperations, race and class, and the role biogenetics could play in this.
It's fantastic writing, super imaginative and has excellent pacing (it's like a page turner), too. Highly recommend! And luckily the second book in the series is out now. I'll be sure to read the author's other works asap.
It's fantastic writing, super imaginative and has excellent pacing (it's like a page turner), too. Highly recommend! And luckily the second book in the series is out now. I'll be sure to read the author's other works asap.
September 20, 2019
Tenea D. Johnson’s R/evolution: A Mosaic Novel (Book One) is something of a cross between a novel and a set of interconnected short stories (I’ve even read one of the “chapters” as a standalone short story in another anthology).
This book takes a deep, painful look at racial and class divides. Rich people can afford to get whatever adaptations they want for their children, widening the gap still more than it was before (class has long dictated health, as it takes money to get good medical care). The middle class disappears. Racial tensions run even higher, resulting in violence and death. A version of the Klan has made a comeback. While it’s clear that the New Dawn (a pro-reparations group) went too far in kidnapping Kristen Burke and the others–they’ve sentenced them to a life of trauma and pain and triggered terrible reprisals–the story itself really opened my eyes. The New Dawn carefully point out all the ways in which the treatment Kristen and the others received was much better than that the slaves received, and that more than anything else conveyed how horribly the slaves were treated.
The one part of this book that felt weird to me was Quincy’s. Quincy is Ezekiel’s step-son, and he is clearly a sociopath. He takes the story on a weird tangent later on where he tries to make himself into a “prophet” of a religion based on “Carter’s Kids” (the children who received Ezekiel’s genetic reparations). It’s bizarre, and seems to lose the focus on the wider themes of the book.
It was interesting to see Ezekiel change from focusing just on race to focusing on class as well–offering his genetic adaptations for superior health to people who couldn’t afford to get adaptations themselves. It’s clear that his work is going to change the world, but I’d like to have seen more of that effect, rather than having it just hinted at in the end.
Original review posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2019/09/r...
This book takes a deep, painful look at racial and class divides. Rich people can afford to get whatever adaptations they want for their children, widening the gap still more than it was before (class has long dictated health, as it takes money to get good medical care). The middle class disappears. Racial tensions run even higher, resulting in violence and death. A version of the Klan has made a comeback. While it’s clear that the New Dawn (a pro-reparations group) went too far in kidnapping Kristen Burke and the others–they’ve sentenced them to a life of trauma and pain and triggered terrible reprisals–the story itself really opened my eyes. The New Dawn carefully point out all the ways in which the treatment Kristen and the others received was much better than that the slaves received, and that more than anything else conveyed how horribly the slaves were treated.
The one part of this book that felt weird to me was Quincy’s. Quincy is Ezekiel’s step-son, and he is clearly a sociopath. He takes the story on a weird tangent later on where he tries to make himself into a “prophet” of a religion based on “Carter’s Kids” (the children who received Ezekiel’s genetic reparations). It’s bizarre, and seems to lose the focus on the wider themes of the book.
It was interesting to see Ezekiel change from focusing just on race to focusing on class as well–offering his genetic adaptations for superior health to people who couldn’t afford to get adaptations themselves. It’s clear that his work is going to change the world, but I’d like to have seen more of that effect, rather than having it just hinted at in the end.
Original review posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2019/09/r...
December 6, 2022
This is one of the most fascinating science fiction premises I've ever read.
October 31, 2016
R/evolution is a novella that takes different short sections on different characters to present a dystopic view of the future, where America has been subsumed by race and class problems and genetic engineering is the norm.
Dystopians often take a current problem within our society and push it to an extreme. For instance, Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale does this with gender issues and patriarchy. R/evolution takes America’s current race issues combined with the possibility of genetically engineered children, “designer babies.”
While I don’t think the society Johnson presents will come to pass, it did draw some eerie parallels with current events. From the shooting at a black church in Charleston to the rise of white nationalism, R/evolution is most certainly still relevant.
R/evolution was really short. Going into it, I didn’t know it was a novella and not a full length novel. I ended up reading all of it in under two hours. However, I think it actually ended too soon. If there’s a connecting thread to the mosaic like sections it presents, it’s the Carter children. A scientist by the name of Carter is creating a genetic reparation for the African American community, designing children with unprecedented health and abilities. But I feel like I never got more than a fragmentary picture of these Carter children. I would have liked to see a lot more.
Although I didn’t enjoy R/evolution as much as Johnson’s full length novel, Smoketown, I want to continue seeking out her work. I would still recommend R/evolution, particularly to those looking for the serious sort of dystopia.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
Dystopians often take a current problem within our society and push it to an extreme. For instance, Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale does this with gender issues and patriarchy. R/evolution takes America’s current race issues combined with the possibility of genetically engineered children, “designer babies.”
While I don’t think the society Johnson presents will come to pass, it did draw some eerie parallels with current events. From the shooting at a black church in Charleston to the rise of white nationalism, R/evolution is most certainly still relevant.
R/evolution was really short. Going into it, I didn’t know it was a novella and not a full length novel. I ended up reading all of it in under two hours. However, I think it actually ended too soon. If there’s a connecting thread to the mosaic like sections it presents, it’s the Carter children. A scientist by the name of Carter is creating a genetic reparation for the African American community, designing children with unprecedented health and abilities. But I feel like I never got more than a fragmentary picture of these Carter children. I would have liked to see a lot more.
Although I didn’t enjoy R/evolution as much as Johnson’s full length novel, Smoketown, I want to continue seeking out her work. I would still recommend R/evolution, particularly to those looking for the serious sort of dystopia.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
January 30, 2012
I won this book on Goodreads/first reads.
r/evolution by Tenea D. Johnson
r/evolution takes place in the United States, in the future. It spans a couple of generations. The main character being Dr. Ezekiel Carter who is a genius and has found a way to make genetic alterations (reparations as he calls them) to make babies born to have supreme health and looks and even special skills.
This book touches on the social reprocussions of a work like this on many levels. Where is God in this type of work and the back-lash that comes from it. Hatred of those who are not fortunate enough to get this type of genetic altering and the seperation of those who do. How far some people will go to get this kind of genetic reparations for the next generation. Even how it can be used against you.
This book touches on the morality of science. It's effects on many aspects of how it can effect people personally, locally and even governmentally. When you read this book, it will make you think about these issues deeper then you may have ever emagined. It will make you think about how something with the best intention can cause many problems you may not see coming until it's to late. I found this book thought provoking and I think others will to.
r/evolution by Tenea D. Johnson
r/evolution takes place in the United States, in the future. It spans a couple of generations. The main character being Dr. Ezekiel Carter who is a genius and has found a way to make genetic alterations (reparations as he calls them) to make babies born to have supreme health and looks and even special skills.
This book touches on the social reprocussions of a work like this on many levels. Where is God in this type of work and the back-lash that comes from it. Hatred of those who are not fortunate enough to get this type of genetic altering and the seperation of those who do. How far some people will go to get this kind of genetic reparations for the next generation. Even how it can be used against you.
This book touches on the morality of science. It's effects on many aspects of how it can effect people personally, locally and even governmentally. When you read this book, it will make you think about these issues deeper then you may have ever emagined. It will make you think about how something with the best intention can cause many problems you may not see coming until it's to late. I found this book thought provoking and I think others will to.
January 23, 2025
These short stories can stand alone, yet taken together they tell a story of people who want to make change - they learn, they act, they create, they reach for a better future. I feel the inspiration of Octavia Butler in this next generation writer.
Plus, I love the exploration of the ways to make reparations - how to repair, how to mend what has been torn, what has been broken.
October 2023 - I didn't realize I had already read this. Now I will go on to read the next book, evolution, published in 2019.
Upon rereading, I now see this book as a novel, with chapters that can stand alone as short stories, not the other way around.
Reparations - something to think about. How do we make reparations?
January 2025 - Re-read for Racial Justice Book Group at UU St Pete
So much in here. So grateful for this author.
Plus, I love the exploration of the ways to make reparations - how to repair, how to mend what has been torn, what has been broken.
October 2023 - I didn't realize I had already read this. Now I will go on to read the next book, evolution, published in 2019.
Upon rereading, I now see this book as a novel, with chapters that can stand alone as short stories, not the other way around.
Reparations - something to think about. How do we make reparations?
January 2025 - Re-read for Racial Justice Book Group at UU St Pete
So much in here. So grateful for this author.
December 17, 2023
Whilst I'm glad I read this, it's not a happy read.
This is a story based in s near future and the struggle for racial equality and reparation. There are acts of terrorism and humanitarianism and in the end both sabotage each other. Nobody wins and everybody loses. And that's probably the lesson here.
The book is arranged as a series of intertwined short stories over the course of about a century. Each story holds up on its own, but when taken as a whole they sum to so much more. Small individual actions have major consequences down the line. Minorities are seen being set upon themselves and it's only much later that realisation dawns, by which time it's too late.
There's an undercurrent of reverse eugenics throughout the book and bio-engineering plays a very strong part in proceedings, and unsurprisingly it fails to solve any problem.
This is a story based in s near future and the struggle for racial equality and reparation. There are acts of terrorism and humanitarianism and in the end both sabotage each other. Nobody wins and everybody loses. And that's probably the lesson here.
The book is arranged as a series of intertwined short stories over the course of about a century. Each story holds up on its own, but when taken as a whole they sum to so much more. Small individual actions have major consequences down the line. Minorities are seen being set upon themselves and it's only much later that realisation dawns, by which time it's too late.
There's an undercurrent of reverse eugenics throughout the book and bio-engineering plays a very strong part in proceedings, and unsurprisingly it fails to solve any problem.
February 12, 2012
A Different World…
“R/evolution” by Tenea D. Johnson is a powerful and influential novel that empowers the African American community to not forget but focus ahead for our futures! This novel paints descriptive and vivid scenes for readers of the tough times in our past history. If you want to boggle your brain and gain a new level of thinking…read this novel. I have three last words to describe this novel: atypical, fierce, and conversant!
Author Tenea D. Johnson provides a quality novel to readers. Good job! This is a diverse read and I will definitely read more novels from author, Tenea D. Johnson moving forward.
Reviewed by: Tekisha
“R/evolution” by Tenea D. Johnson is a powerful and influential novel that empowers the African American community to not forget but focus ahead for our futures! This novel paints descriptive and vivid scenes for readers of the tough times in our past history. If you want to boggle your brain and gain a new level of thinking…read this novel. I have three last words to describe this novel: atypical, fierce, and conversant!
Author Tenea D. Johnson provides a quality novel to readers. Good job! This is a diverse read and I will definitely read more novels from author, Tenea D. Johnson moving forward.
Reviewed by: Tekisha
July 6, 2012
Dystopian future-fic is not usually in my pile, but I bought this at the author's release party in St. Petersburg and took it on a pleasure trip. For all the big ideas and memorable characters within, it could have been fleshed out into a fat book, or even a trilogy. I had to reach way back in my memory to The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant (which shows how far removed I am from things fantastical) for an idea of how epic I feel like it might've been. Maybe it IS the first book in a series? As it is I blew through it on two direct flights, which is to say, it's a page-turner. Recommended, though the future looks bleak :)
November 25, 2017
This novel is mind-blowing. A look at how things might turn out if we continue along the lines we are now following in America concerning the economy, race, and climate change. Johnson is an exceptional story-teller and her talents drew me in rapidly to this possible future. Her characters are rendered sparsely but sharply as well and you find yourself laughing and crying at their triumphs and misfortunes. I found this book hard to put down. I look forward to reading more of her work in the future. I strongly recommend this book to all who might be reading my reviews here and on Facebook. I'm very glad I sat down and read this book after having it on my Nook for so long.
February 1, 2012
This book was a mixture of intricate stories. All were beautifully explored, yet they left you with suspense and speculation. The last chapter was a truly eloquent and magnificent exit. I'm still savoring it.
May 29, 2012
This collection of vivid, fast-paced stories interwoven across generations kept me jumping and guessing all the way to the lyrical end. I loved the road trip with Thelma and her three sons! I won't forget this book any time soon.
August 22, 2013
The story just moves. Scary, sexy, enthralling.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews