Setting
Oryx and Crake is a post-apocalyptic novel set in an unspecified future in North America, which has been drastically altered by scientific advancements, corporate power, and environmental degradation. Civilization as we know it has now collapsed after a disastrous pandemic. The remnants of human society are scattered among isolated compounds and makeshift communities, surrounded by wilderness reclaiming the land.
Before the apocalypse, the world was divided into two primary settings: compounds and the natural environment. The compounds are fortified enclaves inhabited by privileged people associated with powerful corporations engaged in genetic engineering and other scientific endeavors. These compounds are equipped with advanced technology and resources, offering their inhabitants exclusivity and a semblance of comfort and security amidst the chaos outside.
On the other hand, the natural environment outside the compounds is depicted as hostile and unforgiving, plagued by environmental degradation, dirtiness, and poverty. After the apocalypse, however, this distinction collapses, and Jimmy is left to navigate a world without the privileges that his compound afforded.
