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In "Requiem of the Human Soul" by author Jeremy Lent, the reader faces challenging questions about spirituality, history and society: Could our race evolve itself to a higher plane? At what cost and benefit? If we lost what is now the human race as a result, would that be so bad, given our sordid and shameful history? On the other hand, is there something special, our soul, worth keeping at any price? Ultimately, the novel forces the reader to grapple with the fundamental question: what does it mean to be human?
Requiem of the Human Soul
Jeremy R. Lent
Libros Libertad (2009)
ISBN 9780981073507
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (8/09)
In the late 22nd century, earth is ruled by d-humans. These are people who have been genetically designed. Seen as superior beings, they view the primals, people who have been unaltered, as genetically inferior and frail. Primals are susceptible to getting diseases and genetic disorders. While d-humans might seem superior, somewhere along the way, they seem to have lost their soul.
When the UN proposes PEPS (Proposed Extinction of the Primal Species), primal Eusebio Franklin is chosen to defend the primals to allow their existence to continue. Having to review the often times violent history of primals, Eusebio gets questioned about their responsibility in the massacre of indigenous people and the forced extinction of species of animals. While history doesn’t look good for the primals a renegade group called the Rejectionists help Eusebio to see what the d-humans are up to. As with incidents that have taken place throughout our history that have murdered and wronged many, the d-humans don’t seem to be much different. They just seem to have better control over enforcing their goals. The Rejectionists offer Eusebio an opportunity to help save the future of the primals, but in taking action, Eusebio will be responsible for killing millions - including himself.
Eusebio has much to decide. Relying mainly on his heart and his love for his people, he tries to do what is right. He is an extremely spiritual soul who values the wisdom passed down from his ancestors. This makes Eusebio seem much more evolved than the d-humans.
“Requiem of the Human Soul” is incredibly deep and thought-provoking. The story is so much more than a fictional novel. Being that the book is set in the future, Eusebio would actually be representing me because I am a primal. Looking at the plot from this perspective really added to how I viewed the story and our violent history. It seems silly that Eusebio is on trial for atrocities committed by his ancestors, yet this attitude is pervasive today with many cultures and there are many people killing others in the name of their gods. Also, even though Eusebio was not physically genetically superior to the others, his soul made him so. Even though they might try, the soul is something that cannot be created by science. I highly recommend this novel, “Requiem of the Human Soul” by Jeremy R. Lent. I think that people who have interests in bio-ethics will really enjoy it.
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