Q: Christy, your near-future debut novel THE MIDNIGHT PROJECT (Wolsak & Wynn, 2025) deals with some serious issues ranging from the ethics of genetic engineering, the commodification of science to the perils of late-stage capitalism. What do you hope readers will take away from your novel?
A: I hope that readers will take away the idea that just because we are capable of doing a thing, doesn’t mean we should do the thing. We need to use our own critical thinking and ethical judgement to determine our way forward and make decisions in a complex world. We live in an era of marvels where so much is possible. But just because something is possible doesn’t mean that it serves any kind of public good. We shouldn’t do it just because we can. This applies to genAI, it applies to resurrecting dire wolves (which were not resurrected at all, not really), and it applies to deep-sea mining. And of course, it applies to the central premise of my novel – adapting humans to live in the ocean depths.
Science fiction is supposed to provide a cautionary tale to encourage people to use their own cognitive faculties to think ahead to the consequences of their actions. Dystopian tales are not meant to be inevitable roadmaps to the future, they are there to encourage sober second thought. In addition to entertaining readers, I hope my novel will spark some reflection on the role of big billionaires and venture capital in scientific endeavours, and the ethics of bespoke genetic engineering.
The Midnight Project by Christy Climenhage (Wolsak & Wynn, 2025)
About The Midnight Project :
When enigmatic billionaire Burton Sykes walks into Re-Gene-eration, a bespoke reproduction assistance clinic run by Raina and Cedric, two disgraced genetic engineers struggling to get by, they know they have a very unusual client. When Sykes asks them to genetically engineer a way for humanity to survive the coming ecological apocalypse, Raina is tempted. Bees are dying, crops are failing, and she knows her research is partly to blame. Could she help in some way? Though troubled, Cedric agrees to take part when it becomes clear their benefactor will do this with or without them. How else can he be sure their work won’t fall into the wrong hands? But can they really trust Mr. Sykes?
In this near-future science fiction thriller, Christy Climenhage has created a frighteningly real world on the verge of collapse. As disaster strikes, the two friends need to decide whether to cling to their old life or to let go and embrace a new path for humanity.
Christy Climenhage
Photo credit: Roger Czerneda
About Christy Climenhage:
Christy Climenhage was born in southern Ontario, Canada, and currently lives in a forest north of Ottawa. In between, she has lived on four continents. She holds a PhD from Cambridge University in Political and Social Sciences, and Masters’ degrees from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University (International Political Economy) and the College of Europe (European Politics and Administration). She loves writing science fiction that pushes the boundaries of our current society, politics and technology. When she is not writing, you can find her walking her dogs, hiking or cross-country skiing.