Irina Kovalyova, a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, makes full use of her background in these eight stories and one novella, combining science with a strong and empathetic understanding of human vulnerability. "The Side Effects" confronts the casual and cavalier application of medicine. Paula visits a dermatologist for a rash on her back. Uninterested in the rash, the doctor pushes Paula to try Botox treatments on her forehead. Post-injection, the doctor offhandedly mentions that she may notice a difference in her moods--before she loses her emotional complexity and is absorbed into a numbness that permeates her life. In "Peptide P," Kovalyova brings readers uncomfortably close to new scientific possibilities, with fatal and disturbing consequences that victimize children. The story examines the artificial food industry, corporate power and ethics. It calls to mind Huxley's Brave New World, but Kovalyova's more experimental format holds a chilling clinical detachment.
In "Mamochka," nominated for the 2012 Journey Prize, she highlights the domestic desire for familial relationships with stirring empathy. The story explores the cultural and generational gaps between a woman living in Minsk, Russia, and her daughter studying in Canada. The mother attempts to understand her daughter's world, but is unable to bridge the chasm between them. With a range of themes and influences, Specimen is an entertaining and thought-provoking literary gem. --Justus Joseph, bookseller at Elliott Bay Book Company