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BUY YOUR COPY OF “KLARA AND THE SUN” FROM THE BOOK DEPOSITORY HERE.

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I read Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel Klara and the Sun when it came out in early 2020. In some ways, I think that a lot of what Ishiguro wrote about was almost prophetic in a way which is what makes dystopian texts so fascinating.

Many of the medical advancements that have helped people throughout this trying time in our global history have come from scientists working in the field of RNA technology, which is part of a bigger discussion about gene editing. In Ishiguro’s novel, children who meet the right criteria are given the chance to be ‘elevated’. It is not really explained what this elevating process entails, but I assume it is some sort of gene editing that allows people to be smarter. However, this is extremely dangerous, and some children die or are left very ill. The main character of the novel, a young girl called Josie, has been elevated but becomes extremely ill. Her mother decided to buy her a robot – and AF or artificial friend – called Klara. Josie and Klara become very close and Klara worries about Josie’s health.

Ishiguro’s novel is honestly one of my favourite novels ever, and it is definitely my favourite novel by Ishiguro. I honestly cannot gush about this novel enough. The way that he talks about our precarious relationship with science and the notion of ‘playing god’ puts Klara and the Sun up there with Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Ishiguro elegantly tackles issues of class, gender, ability, and our relationship with science. In a bittersweet irony, Klara the robot seems to be the most human character in the whole novel.

This is where I want to jump to some of the science aspects of Ishiguro’s novel with the help of one of my latest reads – The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race by Walter Isaacson.

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Isaacson’s nonfiction book tells the story of several prominent scientists, specifically Jennifer Doudna, and her research into gene editing and RNA – ribonucleic acid. Isaacson’s novel is a historical discussion and retelling of our recent history with gene editing and the fascinating behind-the-scenes research squabbles and egos. If you’re a woman in the sciences, it is also extremely fascinating to learn about some of science’s most famous women to date. Isaacson asks many moral and ethical questions about gene editing and many of the things that are also explored throughout Ishiguro’s fictional novel.

Specifically, Isaacson ponders throughout his book and conversations with Doudna what does it mean to have human diversity? How could we decide what gene’s to edit and what not to? How could we know what the repercussions of such gene editing might mean for the future of humanity? Do we edit away certain disabilities where possible? Should we edit hair and eye colour? Or muscle mass so as to influence our sporting abilities? Or maybe we just make everyone really intelligent by raising everyone’s IQ?

These questions are large and complex and cannot easily be answered, but I loved that Isaacson, like Ishiguro, asks us to address and think about these questions. It seems that many can agree that there is a possibility for gene editing to be used for the good of humanity, but where should we draw the line?

I find that while these two books might seem completely different from one another, they are actually very complementary and I have truly enjoyed reading about the facts with Isaacson as well as imagining possible futures with Ishiguro.

If you love science and or history, then “The Code Breaker” is truly a must read. If you love books in general, then you have to read Ishiguro – it is just a must! Please let me know what books you’ve been reading in the comments below and let me know if you are loving any other science books of late. As always, share the reading love.