New Sci-Fi Novel 'The Awakening' Exposes Ethical Issues of Human Engineering
by Staff
October 20, 2009
ONALASKA, Wis., (christiansunite.com) -- Scientists predict that within the next 15-18 years, individuals will be able to choose to biologically select or enhance specific traits in themselves and their offspring. Yet, with such fantastic possibilities come dire ethical questions.In his new novel, "The Awakening", Cliff Warden creatively addresses these complex biotechnology issues through the near- future, science-fiction tale of Art Jenicks, a young man who discovers he has been part of a secret, government genetic-engineering project.
Jenicks is a teen piano virtuoso with a promising future. Orphaned at a young age and with a past shrouded in mystery, Art's quest uncovers an exiled scientist who holds the secrets to his past and has a plan for his future. Art's own life hangs in the balance as a battle ensues with the very people who made him a rising star. Welcome to the future of controlled evolution.
Warden's engaging style and gripping plot allow the reader to see how genetic engineering could play out in real-life situations, bringing many ethical concerns to the fore. "The Awakening" alarms, inspires, and equips the reader with perspective regarding our own enhancement and the engineering of future generations.
"The Awakening" is a must-read for high school and college students, Christian schools, and homeschoolers. The story helps clarify the bioethics issues of what it means to be human.
Warden developed the idea for "The Awakening" when his son asked for help with a high school debate on the ethics of sex selection and genetic engineering. They were surprised that the majority of the class had no ethical concerns with human cloning, embryonic stem-cell research, genetic engineering, nanotechnology and trans-human combinations.
"When I attempted to talk to friends about these issues, I was met with disinterest, complacency, and claims of over-complexity," Warden says. "It challenged me to find a palatable way to communicate the ethical issues surrounding the advancements in biotechnology."
"The Awakening" is a wake-up call to Christians of the potential loss of our humanness resulting from unrestrained genetic engineering, nanotechnology, and pharmacology.
About the Author: Cliff Warden is a graduate of Pepperdine University School of Law. He practiced law more than 20 years, including working as an attorney for The Christian Broadcasting Network.
