Book Recommendation: Bewilderment by Richard Powers
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Dr. Tiffany Vora recommends the book Bewilderment by Richard Powers
“They share a lot, astronomy and childhood. Both are voyages across huge distances. Both search for facts beyond their grasp. Both theorize wildly and let possibilities multiply without limits. Both are humbled every few weeks. Both operate out of ignorance. Both are mystified by time. Both are forever starting out.” So muses a fictional astrobiologist in the Booker-shortlisted 2021 novel Bewilderment.
💡 Throughout this story, author Richard Powers draws powerful links between biodiversity and human diversity.
The nucleus of the story is the complex but deeply loving relationship between Theo, the astrobiologist, and his son Robin, who is not neurotypical (maybe Asperger’s, maybe ADHD, the medical community isn’t sure). Robin’s mother, who was an environmental activist, has recently died in a car crash. If you’ve read the classic novel Flowers for Algernon, you’ll recognize the plot of Bewilderment: in an effort to make Robin’s life “better”, an AI-enabled neurological treatment also leads to devastating loss—and critical lessons about life.
💡 For me, the most resonant parts of the novel focused on how Theo brings his life as a scientist into the heart of his parenting.
Bedtime is when Robin crafts stories about planets that Theo has discovered elsewhere in the universe; camping trips are precious journeys to reconnect not just with nature, but also with Robin’s departed mother. I recognized myself in the many facets of Theo’s love—not just for his son, but for the beautiful, weird, and amazing natural world around us. As Theo says, “I'd missed something obvious in over thirty years of reading and two thousand science fiction books: there was no place stranger than here.” Strange and wonderful!
💡 If you’d like a glimpse at how the natural world can penetrate our lives to bring us both pain and enduring joy, pick up a copy of Bewilderment.
Not quite science fiction, not quite speculative fiction, Bewilderment sits at the boundary between today and tomorrow. But the truths explored in this novel are timeless. Like this lovely prose:
“The laws that govern the light from a firefly in my backyard as I write these words tonight also govern the light emitted from an exploding star one billion light-years away. Place changes nothing. Nor does time. One set of fixed rules runs the game, in all times and places. That's as big a truth as we Earthlings have discovered, or ever will, in our brief run.”
Dr. Tiffany Vora speaks, writes, and advises on how to harness technology to build the best possible future(s). She is an expert in biotech, health, & innovation. For a full list of topics and ways to collaborate, visit her Work Together webpage.
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