The Way Out

Boudreaux (That He May Raise) lays out a dystopian vision of the near future in this dramatic, fast-paced outing. After a virus impacts humanity’s reproductive capabilities, the world’s governments put into place the Safe Reproductive Practices, which prevent fetuses from being carried to term via natural pregnancy. Instead, scientists devise artificial wombs to ensure healthy infants. It’s a divisive move: many protest the mandatory birth control implants forced on women; others embrace the implants as a promise of sexual and reproductive freedom. Spouses Valerie and Kimiya Hara are firmly in the first camp, and after surgeon Kim removes Val’s implant and Val carries their child, Braden, to term, the couple raises him in secret. Twelve years later, Braden, who has developed unusual abilities, is discovered, sending the family’s life into chaos. Meanwhile, reporter Jessica Brantley uncovers dangerous information while investigating artificial reproduction and cloned children, and Dr. Richard Bowen, who works with Anomalies, individuals who display telepathic abilities, is recruited to Project Eris, a government plan to train Anomalies as spies. Boudreaux raises the stakes to a fever pitch as the three stories draw together and the characters circle closer to understanding the origin of the virus. Eerily relevant and unrelenting, this is sure to thrill fans of politically focused science fiction. (Oct.)