Relevance

I originally came up with my novel's premise with a simple, original idea: what if the human race chose to stop reproducing? Theoretically we could do that. I was horrified by the idea. I imagined the whole world agreeing on a set day to stop reproducing, and from that day on no more babies would be born. The human race would age like normal, and eventually, the last human would die.


I came across this article today titled "Should We Be Having Kids In The Age Of Climate Change?": http://www.npr.org/2016/08/18/479349760/should-we-be-having-kids-in-the-age-of-climate-change


It gave me the chills and reminded me of my beloved manuscript. Below is my most current query.

THE CALLING OF ONE is adult Post-Apocalyptic in three parts, complete at 87,000 words, that follows Mikenna’s life from childhood to adult. It has a light sci-fi hook with a literary bent similar to STATION ELEVEN.

In 2033, seven-year-old Mikenna Lawson wakes up every morning wishing she wasn’t the last human ever born. Since The Decision—humanity’s willing choice to stop reproducing for Earth’s rejuvenation—quality of life is high and babies are a thing of the past. Selflessness, acceptance, and planning for a smooth ending are the wisdoms of the Post-Decision age. 

Mikenna disagrees. When she hears the president talk about there not being anymore babies, she imagines herself as the second Eve—until her ninth birthday party. There she learns she was sterilized as a baby for her illegal birth during The Decision. Her hopes come crashing down. In her teenage years she researches images of babies to see if they look like the ones in her dreams. She contemplates suicide so someone else can be the last human. And as a young woman, the desire to be a mother grows, but she abstains from physical intimacy with her husband because of its emotional connection to her sterilization. 

In 2071, as the human race dwindles, and Mikenna begins to accept The Decision, she discovers she was never sterilized. The doctor who delivered Mikenna saved her from the punishment. With motherhood, and the Eve dream, a sudden possibility, Mikenna must decide if fulfilling her own desire is worth subjecting a child to the emptying world.