Note: This article has been paraphrased for clarity and ease of reading.
In this reflection, novelist Sebastian Faulks discusses the themes that have shaped his writing career. He reveals that his early novels were an attempt to understand his own generation and their place in history, particularly during the turbulent times of the 1960s. However, after writing his sixth novel, “Birdsong,” Faulks came to the realization that humans, as a species, are quite peculiar.
Faulks’ subsequent novels shifted their focus from “who we are” to “what we are.” One such novel, “Human Traces,” delved into the field of psychiatry and psychoanalysis in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, exploring the debate between those who believed mental frailties to be biologically or genetically influenced versus those who thought they were shaped by individual experiences. This required research into genetics and the nature of human consciousness.
In around 2010, the discovery that humans had interbred with Neanderthals and the identification of new human species, like the Homo floresiensis found on Flores Island and the Denisovans found in a cave, piqued Faulks’ interest. He found it fascinating to imagine these different versions of humans coexisting with our own species, even if their numbers were limited and dispersed. This led him to ponder what makes a species human in taxonomic and philosophical terms and whether there are other closely related species yet to be discovered.
Faulks mused on the idea that it would be a shame if the fascinating diversity of human species had been reduced to just one surviving expression: Homo sapiens. He imagined what it would be like if a different species had emerged as the sole survivor of the Homo genus—a species that had a distinct genetic makeup, was less prolific, less driven, less destructive, and more in harmony with the planet.
In Faulks’ novel, “The Seventh Son,” which is set in the near future and based on realistic science, he explores these concepts. The book is a serious examination of what kind of creatures we are, though Faulks never expected it to be so humorous or to conclude with a thrilling chase through the wilderness.
“The Seventh Son” by Sebastian Faulks is the latest pick for the New Scientist Book Club.
