Hybrids

Multiple award-winning author Robert Sawyer's third instalment in his "Hominids" trilogy, "Hybrids" is a pleasantly flowing science fiction novel that continues the tale of our near-future contact between two parallel universe Earths that have been joined through the development of a quantum computer generated link.

Set in circa 2015 Toronto-area southern Ontario, Canada, Sawyer peppers his books with frequent Canadianisms and other references to local customs and geography that create a sense of regional culture.

The author bases his novel on substantial research of our current understanding of Neanderthal society. He contrasts Neanderthal and Homo sapiens attitudes about religion, the social status of women, environmentalism, and sexual relationships in this credible and engaging example of speculative science fiction.

Unlike some of his other more action-based novels, the plot progresses predictably until the tension rises in the last third with the development of a gene-based technological weapon that threatens the Neanderthal earth, Jantar. Interesting foreshadowing keeps the reader engaged throughout the book.

His parallel universe earth presents Sawyer's ideas about a utopian society with a stable population of 185 million humans who live peacefully amid nature in small urban societies. The Neanderthal culture is presented as more sophisticated both technologically and culturally than that of Homo sapiens. It is free of the sexual taboos and violence whose root causes Sawyer associates with religion. Throughout his novel, the author incriminates religion as the source of many of our social and environmental ills and failings.

Readers who wish to explore speculations about the possible superiority of Neanderthals and their differences with modern humans may refer to Colin Wilson's "Atlantis and the Kingdom of the Neanderthals: 100,000 Years of Lost History".

Not only is this simply a good story with believable characters and relationships, but also great in terms of social commentary and scientific theory. I am already looking forward to rereading the series all over again. I definitely recommend beginning with Hominids, then proceeding through the series to Humans, then Hybrids.