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Beyond the Human Realm by Gene Helfman
Despite the numerous quotations from actual, real-world scientific journals that are conveniently scattered at the beginning of some chapters, it is obvious that this is a work of fiction. A work of fiction that is captivating, fascinating, exhilarating, deeply moving, consistently unexpected, and thrillingly unpredictable, skillfully fusing literary genres (action, adventure, folklore, romance, thriller) to tell its story of redemption and astutely reflecting the current environmental crisis our planet is facing
It succeeds as a wake-up call, bringing attention to very real, important issues, and a surprisingly fascinating means of escape, falling somewhere between Laline Paull’s The Bees and Frank Shaentzing’s The Swarm in terms of narrative space. It differs from both because it is told from distinctively diverse human and animal points of view, allowing all of its major, recognisable grey, biped, and cetacean heroes to mature and improve.
It is less universal than The Swarm but more expansive than The Bees. The “white-man-savior” mentality and other common clichés like romanticising Native Americans or First Nations peoples and anthropomorphizing whales are not entirely avoided. However, they are purposefully, carefully, and to an acceptable, effective degree used as narrative devices to compel us to care more intensely about each of the main characters.
In fact, my feelings of affection for the whales occasionally overcame me and caught me off guard. Even the very human instinct or feeling that Makai and some members of his immediate family are said to have at the end makes sense since it provides a nuanced approach to raise an important question: What if nature “deliberately” decided to fight back?
As Beyond the Human Realm draws closer to its beautiful, open-ended, and full of hope and possibilities ending, the question grows louder and more evident. But it has always been there, covertly swimming beneath the surface. And in this exceptionally well-written and enjoyable book, which is anything but patronising or emotionally blackmailing and is almost impossible to put down, author Gene Helfman uses it as one of his methods to have us see through the eyes of the – human, or not – Other.
P.S. Despite the fact that this is obviously and purposefully a work of fiction, the lengthy Acknowledgements section does contain a number of real-life facts, truths, and admissions. Enlightening, significant facts, truths, and admissions can help us translate our emotions into clarity and alter our mentality, allowing us to improve and progress.
About The Book
Time is running out for the iconic killer whales of the Pacific coast. Persecuted as pests then captured for display in marine parks, orca families have been decimated by humanity’s greed and folly, their food supply wiped out, their infants dying from starvation and tainted mother’s milk.
Captive male orca Makai is saved from euthanasia and destined for freedom. But a human-caused tragedy upends Makai’s world. Plotting revenge, acceptance into orca society, and a reversal of his adopted family’s decline, his success hinges on the help of fellow orcas, whale researchers, and a runaway Native teenager with Orca Clan roots.
But Makai’s radical plan must first overcome millennia of orca cultural tradition. Profits from the sale of Beyond the Human Realm will be donated to orca conservation efforts.
The Review
Beyond the Human Realm
9 Score
In “Beyond the Human Realm” author Gene Helfman weaves together the lives of the many characters, whales, humans and a great dog, into a compelling novel that is hard to put down. The narrative raises thoughtful questions about the state of the environment, animal lives and how humans interact with the natural world. I most enjoyed the imaginative approach that the author brings to the lives, language and culture of the orcas. We may never know what these highly intelligent animals are communicating to each other or how they view the world, but Helfman does a masterful job imaginng what their lives might be like. I also appreciated the afterword where the author details what aspects of the novel are based on research and what is imagined. This is one of those books that I keep thinking about long after I finished the final page.
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