Title: Ones Such As These
Author: Albert Fonner
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 9780595223466
Pages: 238
Genre: Fiction / Thriller
Reviewed by: Tara Mcnabb
Pacific Book Review
Relevant in its subject matter and provocative in plot, Albert Fonner’s fictional story of a woman struggling with the consequences of an unexpected pregnancy acts like a cautionary tale in a futuristic setting.
Combining the world as we know it with sci-fi settings, Ones Such As These drops us in the year 2032. Arguments and debates over reproductive rights are still raging between activists and religious groups, both having their own ideas about what makes us human. Jenna, our protagonist, is a young woman working as a health physicist at an energy plant. Upon discovering she is pregnant, she becomes racked by anxiety and panic; previous discussions with her boyfriend confirmed that neither of them was ready for a child. When she breaks the news to him at home, both decide that the best way to handle it is to get an abortion. Things take a strange turn, however, when Jenna hears about a biological research corporation that is willing to pay handsomely for fetal tissue. If she was already planning on aborting the pregnancy, then why not profit from it? And so begins Jenna’s harrowing and emotional journey through her pending pregnancy.
Fonner is keen to portray Jenna’s growing sense of dread and doubt about her decision to profit from her pregnancy; the more she interacts with the various doctors of the corporation and is subjected to countless tests, the more her anxiety increases. Is she committing some kind of crime against creation, and God himself, by profiting from an unwanted pregnancy? These and several other moral and ethical questions arise throughout Jenna’s experiences, and they are indeed difficult ones to decipher. The stark contrasts of the cold and unfeeling rooms of the corporation against Jenna’s own sense of innocent naiveté are powerful metaphors for how we sometimes justify our own decisions in the face of obvious danger. There is no doubt by the end of the story what the author’s views on abortion are; suffice it to say that things do not end well for Jenna, despite her apparent good nature. Whether she was the victim of coercive doctors or just an irresponsible young woman that got what she deserved is up to the reader to decide. But this does not make it any easier to read.
There is a surprising spiritual side to the story that lends softness to the characters, giving the plot a sense of human vulnerability set against a somewhat bleak environment. Numerous mentions of Jenna’s prayers to the Mother Goddess for help are an important part of her story, as well as her reflections on the connection between all living things and the larger cosmos. But for all her genuine devotion to a higher power, Jenna is in the end an outcast, abandoned by God himself. This will seem too harsh for some, which is why Ones Such As These will find the bulk of its readers in the pro-life movement. Albert Fonner does a great job of keeping the suspense and action going throughout the book and I recommend this compelling read to all who enjoy intense science-fiction thrillers.
