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Reviewed by Maria Beltran for Readers' Favorite
In a futuristic society that is based on the quest for the survival of the human species, R. L. Clayton produces a few unique characters that enliven the plot of his novel "Sea Species". Away from the public eye, a small group of idealistic scientists, who are refugees from the Biosphere 2 project, create a community in the Southern Arizona desert. They manage to thrive in an almost closed ecosystem by genetically manipulating plants grown in their greenhouses using biological technology and other genetic abilities. The world takes notice of the community when a famous environmentalist's body is found on their property and this leads to a government investigation. The group also attract close scrutiny from an environmentalist group and are accused as isolationists. Subsequently, the group's leaders, John Vance and Katherine Levey, are imprisoned as subversives and the issue is embroiled in global politics.
With eugenics as its theme, the novel "Sea Species" hearkens back to Aldous Huxley's "A Brave New World" albeit with a different twist. I have always believed that the survival of the human species lies in technology but R. L. Clayton shows us that such a path can also be dangerous. So it sends a chill along my spine to read this narrative where scientists produce new genetic constructs that are supposed to serve the human species' needs better. This is because with today's technology, scientists are already able to manipulate DNA. This makes the plot of "Sea Species" realistic and it is quite possible that this is where the world is going to in the near future. The story is character-driven and is certainly entertaining. The tension starts slowly in the beginning, exploding towards the end of the story. As an anti climax, it presents a unique scientific community in the most unlikely of places, under the sea. I find this refreshing because most of the science fiction stories I read almost always use the outer space as their setting. In the end, this novel leaves an after taste in my mouth because the scenario it presents is indeed highly possible.
