Oryx and Crake (maybe I should start reading?)

So, when I originally created this site back in ’96, the running gag was that I was this barely-literate drunken goon.  Well, two out of three ain’t bad, right?  Turns out, I can read.  Although, truth be told, several years ago I decided to only read books that had won the Hugo or Nebula.  But, of course, each of these books would send me on a side journey to read all the works of each of these authors.  In some cases that took me something like a year just to read the author’s collected works (Thanks a bunch Ursula K. Le Guin).  Well, it sure seems like I should be reading some post-apocalyptic books, right?  I mean, I know the site isn’t called postapocalypticbookmania.com but we can still randomly talk about books, right?

Anyway, I think the first book I’m going to read on my quest for apocalypse-related books is probably going to be Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood.  I don’t know a ton about her or her books, but it seems like every time I’m googling for apocalypse-related material, she pops up.  So, there has to be something there, right?

From the synopsis and reviews, the apocalypse sounds like it was by plague (which I think is the most likely kind we’ll get these days).  The book follows the life of Jimmy (aka Snowman) before and after the apocalypse and it sounds like there are some pretty creepy moments.  Something about green-eyed “Children of Crake” and whatnot.  Anyway, can anyone recommend this book?  Because I’m just about done with “Blue Mars” and I need something new.

Oryx and Crake (Hardcover)
Oryx and Crake (Hardcover)