Author: Aldous Huxley One of the greatest English-language works of literature of all time, Aldous Huxleys Brave New World is a satirical, modernist piece of science-fiction that explores the practical ramifications of eugenics, social conditioning and engineered fertilisation. In the novel, humans are genetically engineered to fulfil certain roles within society; those designated Alphas as bred to satisfy leadership roles, Betas are the next tier down, and Epsilons are the lowest possible caste, restricted genetically and engineered to realise only the most menial, degrading positions within the social hierarchy. Natural birth has also been entirely abolished, meaning that most citizens are merely clones, duplicated in batches of up to 96 from a single fertilized ovum. The plot itself revolves around two Alphas, Lenina Crowne and Bernard Marx, who travel together to a Savage Reservation in New Mexico and encounter a savage named John. Returning to London with John, Lenina and Bernard enjoy a celebrity status due to the affiliation with the savage, whom is regarded as an oddity due to his natural birth. As the novel progresses, John becomes more and more dissatisfied with life in London; he is deeply disturbed by their almost inhuman functionality, especially their willing acceptance of death; he finds their aversion to literature and art deeply unsettling, and he cannot fathom their casual attitudes towards sex, which he himself regards by comparison, prudishly. Whats so interesting about Brave New World is that it doesnt make any determinations; theres plenty to find unsettling, but it allows you to arrive at those conclusion yourself. Considering some of the controversial aspects of the novel, a lesser writer may have been anxious to sermonise, or even lecture his readership on how to think or feel, but thats not the case with Aldous Huxley. Brave New World is a masterfully considerate exploration of individuality and utopian preconceptions. If you were going to read one novel this year, without a doubt, this should be it.
