Foe by Iain Reid is a slow moving science fiction piece that takes a deep look at human relationships. Some critics have compared it to an episode of The Twilight Zone or the Netflix series Black Mirror.
The story revolves around a couple named Junior and Henrietta who live in on a secluded farm in the future. Their relationship is strained. You can tell that there was once deep feeling between these two but something has happened to distance them. One evening they are visited by a man named Terrance who works for the company Outercore. Junior has been selected to go to a space colony on another planet for two years. Henrietta will not be alone however. A synthetic replacement of Junior will be at the house with her for the two year time period and he will be identical to the main character in every way. Terrance will live with the couple for a time to observe Junior’s behavior and characteristics so that the replica or replacement will be as lifelike and “real” as possible. Junior begins to experience paranoia. He believes his wife is developing feelings for Terrance and he starts to experience jealousy. He also has misgivings about the synthetic replacement that will take his place. Will Henrietta become so accustomed to his copy that she will no longer need the real Junior? The story builds to a surprise twist that will astound the reader.
This is not a thriller with a lot of action. The story progresses slowly but the surprise twist at the end is an excellent payback for the reader’s patience. The mood is foreboding and mysterious. The story is told in the first person perspective from Junior’s point of view with little use of quotations. The reader might begin to doubt the main character’s mental stability and reasoning. Does Terrance have a secret agenda for his living with the couple? Does Henrietta know something about this entire episode that she is not telling? I did find that the narrative dragged a bit and because this was a mood piece with little action I was a little turned off. As mentioned, the final twist at story’s end compensated for some of this. Besides the mysteries of the story, this novel is an excellent character study. The dynamics between the couple and Terrance are interesting and will keep the reader wondering. I give this futuristic novel 3 out of 5 stars because of the slow pace of the narrative.
Rating: *** Stars (I liked it!)
- Van, Reference Librarian
ARE YOU AND THIS BOOK A GOOD MATCH? DISCOVER MORE WITH NOVELIST APPEALS! Foe
GENRE: Science Fiction
THEME: Send in the Clones (Cloning humans has deep ethical & personal implications, as these genetically replicated characters know all too well); Space Colonization (Venturing out into the solar system & beyond, humans in these books establish settlements off-world.)
TONE: Atmospheric; Suspenseful STORYLINE: Character-Driven; Intricately Plotted CHARACTER: Well-Developed WRITING STYLE: Compelling; Spare; Stylistically Complex; Well-Crafted Dialogue
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