A 4-Year Old Book Ended With Me Questioning My Morality
What would you do if you were tasked with killing your fellow human?
The Arc of a Scythe is a dystopian fantasy series written by Neal Shusterman, the final of which was published in November 2019. Its pages revolve around two youth — Citra and Rowan — whose lives have turned upside down the moment the Honourable Scythe Faraday decides to choose the both of them as his apprentice.
First, a quick summary of this world created by Shusterman:
In a future ruled by the Thunderhead, a compassionate A.I. that is the sum of all human history and knowledge, humankind has overcome the existential threats of disease, poverty, famine…and death. Humans now can live for hundreds of years — over multiple lifetimes — without fear of dying.
However, to avoid overpopulation and the taxing of its abilities to care for humankind, the Thunderhead decreed that humans should be in charge of maintaining population control. Hence, the creation of the Scythedom — the only entity that is officially separate from the virtual hands of the Thunderhead. A scythe is then tasked to glean their fellow human — much like a living grim reaper.
“Human nature is both predictable and…
