By Issy Gee
Everyone’s wondered, at some point, what our society will be like two hundred, three hundred, or even four hundred years from now. The idea of a shiny, technologically advanced future has been the subject of countless different books and movies, each of which has its own interpretation. Some of the more famous ones include Ready Player One, The Last Man, and I, Robot. I must insist that you clear a space on your list of amazing science fiction novels and make room for Neal Shusterman’s Scythe.
Scythe is set in a distant future where humanity has discovered how to beat natural death. When you get too old, you simply ‘turn the corner’ and become young again. Medicine has reached a point where even the most debilitating of sicknesses cannot harm you. The adjective ‘life-threatening’ can no longer be applied to anything. Emphasis on the thing. Because, despite how humanity has conquered death, there’s still the problem of overpopulation. To make up for the loss of death, an order of people called Scythes were invented; the Scythes take on the solemn duty of ‘gleaning’ to meet quotas taken from the old days, back when life was finite.
The book follows the story of Citra and Rowan, two teens chosen to learn the ‘art of killing’ under the tutelage of a Scythe. As they learn more about the intricacies of death, they’re forced to confront the different ways in which humanity has changed and stayed the same, and what has been lost along the way.
Since I’m not much of a science fiction fan, I went into reading Scythe with middling expectations. And they were blown out of the water. Neal Shusterman skillfully weaves the complexities of morality and philosophy into a riveting narrative that I had no trouble relating to. It’s a story that forced me to think about many things I’d never before spared a second thought for. Reading about Rowan and Citra, opposites in so many ways and similar in others, had me on the edge of my seat. It’s how I imagine hardcore football fans feel when watching the Super Bowl - tightly-strung in anticipation, jumping at each plot twist and turn.
Beyond the deep nature of the book’s content, there’s something else that makes Scythe so unique: its structure. Each chapter is preceded by an entry from the journal of a Scythe, detailing their thoughts on the ‘art of killing’ and its implications for society. These journal entries provide an interpretation of the effects of the loss of death from someone who’s been tasked with picking up the slack.
Neal Shusterman’s Scythe is a true work of art, in everything from plot to structure. Shusterman tackles deeper concepts while still commanding every ounce of your interest with an engaging storyline. With each word, Shusterman paints a vivid picture of a society that, for all its evolution, is still human at its core.
Works Cited
Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). File:Cover art Scythe.jpg - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cover_art_Scythe.jpg