| Description |
This collection of short stories examines human behavior through the lens of biology, particularly the present-day manifestations of evolutionary history. The stories' characters exhibit behavior that appears to contradict Darwinian concepts of individual success. On the surface they are self-destructive and illogical, oftentimes aware of their actions but unable to understand what motivates them. There are sons and nephews, close friends and siblings responding to contemporary situations in ways that may be explained by concepts studied in evolutionary psychology, specifically parental investment, group commitment, altruism, and genetic proximity: the son choking down cigarettes to remember his father or shoplifting at mother's request in order to feed his siblings, the nephew damaging himself to repeatedly rescue an addict uncle, friends destroying themselves for the good of the group. Although there are many scenarios within the collection, the role of the son within his family has the strongest presence. Essentially, they are a series of hypothetical scenarios used to explain evolutionary ramifications using the tool of fiction. |
