Book Review: - Life on the Preservation, by Jack Skillingstead

The rational vs. the romantic - A struggle for meaning in life.

By Toria Burrell, 8/15/13

The word "Life" in this title resonates with heavy irony, I believe, because it is declares the main poignant theme(s) of this novel: - What is life? What does it mean to live? Is life worth the struggle? What constitutes "real life", real consciousness, real identity? The word "preservation" is also very full of resonance: - before we begin the book, we don't know exactly what this means; it isn't clear whether this "preservation" is a good or a bad thing, or a mixture of both. Usually, to "preserve" something is a good thing - to preserve history or precious objects, or to preserve life itself. In this post-apocalyptic world, surely a "preservation" is a sign of hope? But what if preserving a simulated semblance of life is actually a nightmare, a cruel trick, which tortures humanity and strips us of our individuality and free will? Who is in control? Fate? A creator? Or ourselves?

There is so much to delve into with this novel, I had a struggle to start writing this review at first. But doing so has been almost as rewarding as reading the book itself. Unlike some of the negative commentators, I did very much connect with the characters, especially the male protagonist, Ian, who I felt very fond of and identified with on more levels than I expected.

What made this novel so appealing, fascinating and gripping for me, was the superb sensory, visceral and incredibly realistic depiction of Ian's nightmarish existence inside this "preservation" and his struggle to wake up and cling to reality, life and meaning, in an otherwise meaningless world. Aliens and experiments aside, I love to think of this preservation dome as a metaphor for Ian's own mind. In fact, the mysterious character, "the Curator" (who reminds me of the Wizard of Oz: - the shadowy being that may or may not be the creator of this world) suggests that he is not in fact the puller of the strings, but that Ian himself has "lensed" this preservation dome into existence. It is, perhaps, a product of his own disturbed, traumatized, grief-stricken mind. This revelation is never fully explained or established however, and the truth about the preservation remains a mystery. However, whatever the truth really is, I think the preservation dome is a brilliant, poignant psycho-analysis of this young man's mind going through deep grief and post traumatic stress disorder. (But then, I am partial to arm-chair psychology). After all, Ian lost his mother to suicide and is constantly haunted by horrific visions of her corpse in her over-flowing bath tub. And then we watch as Ian is caught helplessly in a loop of reliving his own suicide attempt, time and time again. I can't think of a worse nightmare: - having to reawaken the morning after you try to commit suicide - i.e. to escape your personal hell, only to find you're still in it and stuck there, with seemingly no escape! The agony of this meaninglessness is the epitome of despair. But, I love watching how Ian's character develops and gradually recovers from this despair and starts to cling to hope, and the possibility that there IS meaning after all. Of course it doesn't happen quickly; like all grieving processes, it is a slow and painful journey, with many regressions back into despair and a checking back out of reality. But then, new sparks of life return and the character slowly inches forward towards reawakening, enlightenment and hope.

I didn't exactly identify with Kylie, but that didn't matter. I connected with her and liked her character as almost the antithesis of Ian, or perhaps the remedy for Ian's despair. I admired her bravery, tenacity, spirit and passion for life. Someone claimed she seemed too well balanced to be a victim of such rape and trauma, but I think her character is real and believable because she is just incredibly strong, energetic, young and full of zest for life, despite her circumstances. She is determined to survive and this determination carries her through the disastrous world she finds herself in. (And let's face it, I'm a sucker for strong female characters - I can't stand simpering female victims). I like the fact that she's not afraid to wield a gun, face her main enemy (the priest) and stand up to her other foes (the other bullies) and potential enemies (the zombie-creatures). She is a cute, quirky, female hero, and I couldn't help rooting for her.

Having connected with the two main protagonists (Ian and Kylie) therefore, I enjoyed the chemistry between them when they finally meet, and found it believable, compelling and poignant. There is an element of "fate" about their meeting: - it seems to be coincidental yet "meant to be" in a truly romantic way. However, this is described in very rational and far-from-corny way. Both try to dismiss the idea of "fate" and "luck": - Ian doesn't believe he deserves happiness; Kylie doesn't believe she doesn't deserve it. She's a bold, carpe diem kind of gal and Ian is seized by her passion. Ian's awakening from the nightmare that the preservation creates with each repeating day-loop, is fueled by his sudden new attraction to Kylie and the hope for the future that she brings to him. As he says, she makes him real. Whether he is a real human or an android, (we never really know, and it doesn't really matter) his sense of reality, identity and purpose in life is largely dependent on and generated by Kylie, or his new found passion for her. I love how Skillingstead takes romance and dissects it, rationally and logically and analyzes it from all angles, and yet, at the end of the day, we still get romance! It's somehow exhilarating.

Kylie entering the dome of course dispels the theory that this place is just a creation of Ian's mind. Suddenly, the aliens, the androids, the strange technology that generates it all, become real with Kylie's invasion from the "outside world". I still love the paradoxes though, such as the possibility that the other characters, (i.e. Ian's friend Zach and Ian's sister, Vanessa), may or may not be mere androids or virtual beings in this holographic-like world, but may actually have their own consciences: - that they might in fact be real, living, conscious beings, not necessarily human, but valid beings nonetheless. I love how these ideas of humanity, identity, individuality, existentialism and consciousness are brilliantly explored in this novel. In fact, Zach and Vanessa are far more than just two-dimensional characters or programmed androids: - they also discover their own identities, and they also shape and influence Ian's life too. So it isn't just Kylie that Ian leans on: - he also finds meaningful friendship and connection with Zach and Vanessa too, which help to build up the case for hope: - hope that life is perhaps worth living after all.

I greatly enjoy Skillingstead's writing style, his use of uniquely descriptive prose, his skillful avoidance of cliche, his penetratingly accurate depictions of scenes, emotions, thoughts and ideas. He also creates a very well structured story that unfolds at just the right pace (in my opinion) to deliver the punches along the way that keep the reader gripped and pulled along. I particularly enjoyed the acceleration of the dramatic pace towards the end - even though I'm actually a fan of slow pace and psychological depth, I do appreciate a fast paced page-turning plot too, and Jack does both of these techniques extremely well. I could not put the book down, and kept turning pages quickly, and yet, at the same time, I had the immense satisfaction of re-reading many sections, to squeeze the juice out of their psychological depth. This is a wonderful balance and a mark of a truly good writer.

I love how, despite all the sci fi, the horror, the spacecrafts, the technology and the fun, whizz-bang, fire-work action stuff, there is also tenderness, delicacy, intricate exploration of human emotions, human connections, relationships and the underlying philosophical questions of life - why are we here? where did we come from? and is it all worth it? This will keep me coming back again and again to Skillingstead's novels. I can't wait to read the next one.