State surveillance. Artificial intelligence. Advanced reproductive technology. Many of the elements Peco Gaskovski depicts dramatically in his new novel Exogenesis seem to be only a step or two ahead of where we are in the world today. But Gaskovski’s dystopian vision of a society with mass sterilizations of undesirable populations, an intricate social credit system managed by AI, and omnipresent government surveillance is, ultimately, not without hope.

In this episode, host Andrew Petiprin speaks with Gaskovski, an author and neuropsychologist, about Exogenesis and the colliding forces in society, culture, and science today that inspired it. While the world of Exogenesis is bleak in many ways, Gaskovski’s worldview is not. With gripping action and complicated characters, the book strikes a balance between realism about human nature in the face of technological temptations and social pressure, and hope that truth and beauty can survive amid persecution and suffering.

You can find Exogenesis by Peco Gaskovski at Ignatius.com or your local Catholic bookstore.