Zeb’s story complements the first two novels, explaining how MaddAddam was an illicit online gathering of scientists stuck in labs owned by an all-powerful Corp, participating in the destruction of the environment. Toby expands Craker lore because they are curious about Zeb, and she coaxes Zeb to tell her the story of his life so she can relay it to the Crakers. They even have human brain tissue, which makes them dangerously smart, although they often end up as bacon and pork chops. They also work to feed themselves and protect the camp against the genetically manufactured predators in the wild around them, especially the pigoons, which are enormous pigs spliced with human DNA to grow transplant organs. The survivors live in caution of the sadistic Painballers, who they expect to take revenge. They believe the world was in chaos, and Crake cleared it away for them. With their prompting, she tells stories about Crake, who they praise as their creator, and Oryx, who made the animals. As the person left by Crake to take care of the Crakers, Jimmy had become their unwilling prophet and storyteller. With Jimmy comatose, the Crakers enlist Toby to fill in for him. When he does, their romantic relationship is finally kindled. Toby waits for Zeb, who she has secretly loved for years, to return from a supplies mission.

The Crakers, who mate based on ovulation cycles, forcefully mate with Ren and Amanda out of confusion. Most of the survivors are reluctant to keep the Crakers around, especially with their odd, unsettling singing, but Toby is concerned for their safety. The group includes an overlapping mix of MaddAddamites, the scientific geniuses who were forced to help Crake bioengineer the Crakers, and the God’s Gardeners, a doomsday-prepping eco-cult that taught its members to get ready for an apocalyptic event. Toby herds them all, including the Crakers, back to the cobb-house, where the other survivors have set up camp. They’ve also rescued Jimmy, who is now unconscious from an infection that originated in a cut foot. Toby and Ren have saved Amanda, but the two violent Painballers are at large, untied by perplexed Crakers who want to help.

MaddAddam begins right after the ending of the simultaneous narratives of the first two novels. Content Warning: The source text depicts rape and sexual assault as well as violence against both humans and animals.

Oryx and crake maddaddam