Prion
Prion takes us to a post-Covid-19 world in the not-so-distant future, where humans live daily with disease outbreaks and loss of biodiversity, but also with meaning, joy, and hope. The story begins in New Zealand and follows the lives of people and parrots in Australia, Honduras, and the United States. A growing coalition of diverse scientists and conservationists suddenly face a terrifying, new pandemic that threatens the human race. Using cutting-edge technologies, they discover that parrots are the transmitters of the “Zealand Zombie Disease.”
In a life-or-death race to find the disease’s cause and cure and survive one of the largest typhoons ever recorded, the core researchers rely on their knowledge and experiences from decades of researching and rescuing parrots to save both parrots and people. Though the future is dim for both species, their cooperation and commitment give new meaning to surviving the hard times of any age.
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There are questions for reflection and group discussion available, and merchandise is coming soon. If so inspired you may find out more about being a Lapatistas or joining the US-SI! Movement.
Preview of Prion: A Dramatic Reading of the Prologue
Discussion Questions
1. What moment in the book was most joyous? Most challenging? Most depressing? Evoked the strongest feelings?
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2. Which character was your favorite? What characters are most like you or people you know, and which are the most dissimilar?
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3. Did you find yourself having enemy images of certain groups of people or species within the book, or within real life?
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4. Is there an overall moral or ethical concept in the book?
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5. Did the book reinforce or challenge any of your moral or ethical principles, or your behavior?
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6. What moral or ethical guidance in particular resonates with you, and which ones do not?
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7. How do you resonate, or not, with keeping wildlife in captivity or trading them for human use?
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8. If you were to go to an Unconditional Solidarity Movement event like they did during the Australian conference, which groups of animals, people, or biomes would attract you?
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9. What does unconditional solidarity look like to you?
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10. What vow or promise have you made or would you like to make on behalf of other beings?
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11. If you were to become a Lapatista, how would it change your life?
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12. What thoughts and feelings came up referring to the Covid-19 pandemic and possible future ones?
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13. What did you learn about parrot intelligence and behavior? Though the author cannot speak for a parrot and the book is a fable,
characteristics of parrots were portrayed: their high intelligence, ability to problem solve, communication that has words and syntaxis, existence of families, naming of children, and a range of complex social reactions, behaviors, and feelings.
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14. In writing the book the author wasn’t sure how it was going to end and whether humans, humans, parrots, or both would survive. How would you change the ending and why?
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15. What questions does the book leave you with? What might you ask of the authors? (info@oneearthconservation.org).