Upgrade

Upgrade can be considered both a science-fiction novel and a thriller, displaying many of the hallmarks of each genre. The setting is one common to science fiction: a not-too-distant future in which scientific innovations threaten to change human life forever. In this respect, the novel is highly speculative. It also “gives readers an idea of what might happen in the future if certain events…come to pass” (“Science Fiction: What is Science Fiction? Definition, Usage, and Literary Examples.” SuperSummary). In addition to examining how genetic engineering may affect life in the future, the novel’s environmental backdrop is crucial. The events take place at a time when the impacts of climate change are in full effect. Large parts of Manhattan are underwater as a consequence of rising sea levels; Lake Mead has dried up; wildfires have destroyed historically forested areas and left deserts in their wakes. The novel imagines a world in which climate catastrophes have accelerated and examines how these events impact human life on the planet.

While its setting and many of its technological innovations are science fiction, Upgrade also follows many conventions of the thriller genre. The