Extinction by Douglas Peston (book review).
Needless to say, when I started reading this book, ‘Extinction by Douglas Peston’, the shadow of ‘Jurassic Park’ was already looming large at the back of my mind. The blurb sent with the book even lampshades this a bit, calling the novel ‘Crichton-esque’. But while there are similarities in the sense that both involve corporations using scientific knowledge without thinking about either ethics or consequences, ‘Extinction’ takes the idea in a very different direction. It’s less about the wild animals as something else that the scientists have been doing on the side.
The book kicks off with a couple of tourists hiking Erebus, a sort of safari park stocked with resurrected mammals including mammoths and giant armadillos. They get killed in a horrific manner, bringing Agent Frances Cash and Sheriff James Colcord into the story. Although they approach the case with different preconceptions, they work well together, even if the idea of teaming up a rookie townie with a seasoned local isn’t exactly original.
Eventually, the investigators discover the real reason behind the murders isn’t the wild animals or even eco-terrorists but Neanderthals. As well as bringing back mammoths and ground sloths, Erebus resurrected some Neanderthals. These hominids are not only stronger and faster than modern humans, but they have also realised that they have returned from the dead and are not happy about it. Indeed, they’ve decided the thing to do is ‘extinct’ us.
Peston’s central argument that empathy is humanity’s unique advantage over its ancestors is a timely one. One of the Erebus scientists, Karman, explains towards the end that Neanderthals had all sorts of physical advantages over modern humans but lacked empathy; that ultimately was the reason they became extinct when the two hominid species met tens of thousands of years ago. When the super-rich were offered genes to improve the health and fitness of their babies, ten million dollars at a time, they didn’t check where those genes were coming from. What Peston gives us is a sharp critique of the sociopathic tendencies of the rich and powerful, who are, quite literally, choosing to give away a bit of their humanity.
‘Extinction’ reads well, even if it feels a little obviously written to catch the eye of a TV or film production company. Our introduction to Officer Cash as ‘sleeping nude… [so] there was no delay between bed and shower’ had me rolling my eyes. But what Peston does is write in a way that keeps you on track, page after page. Once I started, I found the novel difficult to put down. It’s fun, frighteningly plausible, and, like all the best thrillers, shines a light on those who operate outside or, indeed, above the law.
Neale Monks
March 2025
(pub: Head Of Zeus. 354 page hardback. Price: £20.)) (UK). ISBN: 978-1-03590-874-5)
check out website: www.bloomsbury.com/uk/extinction-9781035908745/
