The problem for Alex is that the ship’s doctor belongs to a group of humans with a xenophobic hatred of aliens engineered into her being.

Eventually finding a spesh for each job required, Alex finally learns the details of their mission: transporting two alien representatives through a tour of human-controlled space. Alex has little choice but to accept this too-good-to-be-true offer after he uses his last remaining funds coming to the aid of a mysterious, young teenage girl named Kim O’Hara, whose genetic programming has just come into fruition, off the grid, through a traumatic and violent metamorphosis.Īlex is given the atypical freedom of assembling his own crew from the handful of people who happen to be on this galactic crossroads of a planet looking for employment. These biologically-idealized ‘speshes’ serve their programmed role above all other concerns and have significant advantages over regular humans, but lack choice, stuck in predestined jobs with no hope of change.Īs a pilot spesh searching new employment after his recovery, Alex discovers a generous job opportunity to serve as pilot/captain for a secretive mission. In this future universe, much of humanity is genetically engineered to serve specific unique roles. The Genome begins when spaceship pilot Alex Romanov is released from a hospital with a newly regenerated body following a terrible accident during his previous job. Even if the satirical play is realized, enjoyment of the adventure and mystery of the plot may be lost to the sensitive. It is easy to misread intent and where the parody begins or ends. Potentially catching a reader off guard, The Genome contains not only the excitement and charm of classic science fiction, but exaggerates the clichés and faults of (mostly) bygone years, including their misogynistic tone and other cultural insensitivities.

Translation is a tricky business and the subtle nature of Lukyanenko’s parody, with only a hidden explanation of tongue-in-cheek intent, makes it easy to mistake The Genome for a straight-faced science fiction adventure in a Golden Age vein. Lukyanenko intended The Genome to be playful, encoding in the final pages a hidden message that translates as: “This novel is a parody of space opera and cyberpunk. This is a novel where it pays to know not just the author and plot, but also a little about its style and designs. However, when it comes to The Genome, diving in simply due to author recognition is not advised. It’s not surprising then to see reader interest in translations of his other work, including his science fiction. Sergei Lukyanenko’s name gained popular recognition outside of his native Russia with the translations of his fantasy/horror novels, Night Watch and Day Watch, and their equally successful film adaptations and remakes.

The Genome by Sergei Lukyanenko