I just finished reading Genesis, a science fiction novel by Bernard Beckett. I'm really drawn to sci-fi for some reason--it's one of my favorite genres for movies and TV--but I rarely like sci-fi books. I'm kind of a reading snob. I don't like bad writing, and I have a hard time lowering my standards even for simple pleasure reading. Most sci-fi fails to reach the bar.

Genesis, on the other hand, is very well written. The reader is basically listening in on a dissertation defense, which may sound rather boring, but it's not. The story moves along at a slow, but engaging clip until the last chapter, which suddenly becomes gripping. From the second or third chapter, I could guess the twist at the end, but the way it plays out is chilling in some strange way that I'm not sure I can easily explain.

The book wrestles with pinning down the essence of life, and how that essence is entertwined with sin and death. The final pages are fraught with irony, so it would make a great discussion piece... an all around great read. And at only 150 pages, you can finish it in only a few hours.

Bernard Beckett, I applaud you.