The purpose of this thesis is to analyze, by close reading, the worlds of the speculative fictious
novels, Oryx and Crake and The Scarlet Plague, in terms of how fear is portrayed as being the
manifestation of irrational and selfish behavior. These fictious worlds serve as mirrors reflecting
contemporary societal concerns that we may not be aware of or simply ignore when going about our
everyday life. These concerns involve matters such as the very definition of humanity and how they
may alter if certain fields of science are left unquestioned. The two novels in question showcase
similarities in their apocalyptic narrative, but more so, a distinctive difference in their reception of
critique. In The Scarlet Plague, the scientists are the heroes in which all hope is being placed to
keep everyone alive. In Oryx and Crake, on the other hand, the scientists and the field of
bioengineering is what cause our absolute demise and will inevitably wipe us from existence. These
aspects are then considered with the pattern of behavior experienced during the recent COVID-19
pandemic, in terms of how people and society navigated through being induced with a similar fear
of death and the uncertainty of one’s safety.