- Winner, Young Adult Fiction, NZ Post Book Awards 2007
- Winner, Esther Glen Award 2007
- Shortlisted for the Silver Inky 2008
It's the year 2075.
The island Republic has emerged from a ruined world. Its citizens are safe but not free. They live in complete isolation from the outside world. Approaching planes are gunned down, refugees shot on sight. Until a man named Adam Forde rescues a girl from the sea.
Anaximander, a young Academy student, is put through a gruelling exam. Her special subject: the life of Adam Forde, her long-dead hero. What secrets has she discovered and what is her own surprising link to Adam? She is forced to confront the horrifying truth about her totalitarian world.
Genesis is a thriller that asks the big questions. What is it to be human? What makes a soul?
Praise for Genesis:
‘Sophisticated sci-fi that explores thorny issues in philosophy and science. … Beckett presents a series of philosophical conundrums with lucid and penetrating intelligence, and weaves them into a bleak but compelling futuristic vision.’
— Age
‘Beckett accelerates the pace and heightens the tension until his narrative reaches a conclusion so shocking, it’s like a blow to the head, Highly recommended.’
— Weekend Australian
‘This is a story rich in resonance and more than a few good plot twists.’
— Courier-Mail
