Inside the Banned Book: "Oryx and Crake" by Margaret Atwood

“After everything that's happened, how can the world still be so beautiful? Because it is.” Magaret Atwood, Oryx & Crake

““When any civilization is dust and ashes," he said, "art is all that's left over. Images, words, music. Imaginative structures. Meaning—human meaning, that is—is defined by them.”” Magaret Atwood, Oryx & Crake

“Wow, I'm the most dangerous little old lady of 84 you've ever heard of!… Oh alas, whatever will I do? Hit Utah with my cane?” Margaret Atwood on X

BOOK OVERVIEW

Oryx & Crake by Margaret Atwood

Genre: Speculative Fiction / Dystopian Literary Fiction

Challenge Reason: Alcohol use, sexual activities, profanity, and “inflammatory religious commentary”

Audience: 16+ (Adults and mature teens)

Themes and Takeaways: Science without ethics, devaluaton of humanities, excessive consumerism, survival, environmental collapse, genetic engineering

Book Resume: Unite Against Book Bans Resume Here

PUBLISHER SUMMARY (BOOK JACKET)

“Snowman, known as Jimmy before mankind was overwhelmed by a plague, is struggling to survive in a world where he may be the last human, and mourning the loss of his best friend, Crake, and the beautiful and elusive Oryx whom they both loved. In search of answers, Snowman embarks on a journey—with the help of the green-eyed Children of Crake—through the lush wilderness that was so recently a great city, until powerful corporations took mankind on an uncontrolled genetic engineering ride. Margaret Atwood projects us into a near future that is both all too familiar and beyond our imagining.”

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WHAT ARE THE RULES FOR BANNING BOOKS IN UTAH?

Utah’s HB 374 (Sensitive Materials in Schools Act) allows school districts to remove books if they are deemed “pornographic or indecent.” Under Utah Code 76-10-1203, “pornographic material” is defined as appealing to a “prurient interest in sex.” The U.S. Department of Justice describes this as material that evokes an “erotic, lascivious, abnormal, unhealthy, degrading, shameful, or morbid interest” in sex.

Both the Utah Code 76-10-1203 and U.S. law refers to the Miller test, established by the Supreme Court. For a work to be legally obscene, all three of the following must be true:

1. The average person would find the work appeals to prurient (sexual) interests;

2. The work depicts sexual conduct in a patently offensive way; and

3. The work, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.

That final point—the “literary value” clause—is often overlooked. Many challenged titles, including Oryx and Crake, have clear educational and artistic merit and therefore do not meet the legal definition of obscenity.

In practice, interpretations of HB 374 vary across Utah districts, leading to removals based more on perceived sensitivity than on these legal standards.

WHY IS ORYX AND CRAKE BANNED?

The Utah Legislature includes several slides with quotes of the content in question, available here. The primary challenges include non-graphic sexual references and depictions of child exploitation.

All additional challenged content is extracted and listed by Rated Books here.

WHAT'S REALLY INSIDE?

Literature allows readers to explore difficult ideas from a place of safety. In Oryx and Crake, Atwood examines the consequences of unrestrained corporate power and science divorced from ethics—and the result is both visionary and terrifying.

In Atwood’s world, corporations control everything from food to medicine to reproduction. Genetic engineering has blurred the boundary between creation and invention: pigs that grow human organs, glow-in-the-dark rabbits, and human-like hybrids called the Crakers.

Snowman, the novel’s haunted narrator, drifts through the ruins of that world—one that prized intelligence but abandoned empathy.

Atwood never sensationalizes or romanticizes the issues in the novel. Instead, they're a warning about how easily power can be weaponized, and how quickly cruelty becomes ordinary when morality is optional.

WHY ACCESS TO THIS BOOK MATTERS

While Oryx and Crake isn’t written for young readers, it remains deeply relevant to anyone willing to wrestle with moral gray areas. Stories like this remind us that progress without ethics doesn’t lead to a better world—it leads to one stripped of meaning.

Atwood challenges readers to confront what we consume, what we ignore, and who gets left behind in the pursuit of perfection. For older teens and adults, it’s a powerful invitation to discuss responsibility—in science, storytelling, and love.

WHAT PARENTS CAN DO

If you’re unsure whether this book is right for your child, start by checking your school’s website or library catalog to see if it’s available.

If you prefer your child not to read it, you can contact the school librarian and request that it be restricted for your student only. This option respects your family’s values while keeping the book accessible to others who might need its message or resources.

For more help navigating these conversations, see my Parent Conversation Guide for information about:

• How to Talk to Your Teen About Banned Books

• How to Request Alternatives Without Banning for Others

READ IT? WHAT DO YOU THINK?

If you’ve read Oryx and Crake, share what themes stood out most — or what you think is lost when it’s removed from shelves.

Disclaimer: This post reflects my personal interpretation of the book and Utah’s current book-challenge policies. Parents and educators are always encouraged to read the book themselves before making decisions about access.