Original Syn

In Kander’s awkward debut, the world’s population is split between two groups: the Syn, augmented humans who are effectively immortal and run much of the world from Manhattan, and a dwindling number of Originals, unaltered humans, who have become an oppressed class. Set 50 years after the Singularity, a shift that placed Syns at the top of the pyramid, the novel primarily follows Ere, an Original teenager, and Ever Hess, the Syn daughter of the man at the center of Syn society, as they navigate their feelings for each other alongside their changing understanding of what Syns and Originals are really like. Unfortunately, this romance is unnecessary and unsatisfying, and it manages to overshadow interesting worldbuilding and plot elements such as the transhumanist movement, reproduction (a topic that preoccupies the Syns, along with outdated notions of sexual purity), and staving off death in a world run by immortals. Kander ambitiously sets up an allegory for racism but falters when grappling with privilege or power. There’s promise in Kander’s writing that may be realized in future books, but this one falls short of the mark. (Oct.)