I’ve recommended a lot of different things in this newsletter, some of which were frankly unrelated to science or science fiction, and I’m not sorry, I think they were cool. That said, sometimes you gotta get back on theme, which for me is great, literary sci fi and fantasy stories.
Luckily, I’ve been on a real hot streak with excellent books lately. Here’s the three I’ve enjoyed most recently:
RECURSION, by Blake Crouch.
Blake Crouch is a rising star in modern Sci Fi, and this one is an instant classic, for my money. Like most of my favorite sci fi, it proceeds from a very simple, high-concept premise, and then explores it deeply, twisting it into many different dynamics and situations by the end of the story.
In this case, the premise is—a woman invents a chair that allows people to be inserted into their own memories, which becomes a form of time travel that can remake the world by spawning new branches of the multiverse.
The resulting story is both intensely personal and world-historical in stakes. It’s mind-bending and convoluted yet clear and reader-friendly. It’s strange and alien yet hauntingly plausible if you accept the central premise. Crouch’s prose isn’t fancy but it’s evocative and serves the story. I’ve already recommended this book personally to several people, and I’m broadcasting it wide as possible. I’m going to read all the rest of his books ASAP, and I was happy to find out he’s got a bunch more.
SEA OF RUST, by Robert Cargill
This books asks the question: What if robots destroyed all of humanity in a war, but then started oppressing each other and infighting for world domination? And yes, the book really commits to that reality—every single character, including the protagonist, is a robot/A.I.
The result is an existential saga about one small, humanoid robot scavenging for parts to keep itself alive in the Sea of Rust, what used to be the U.S. Midwest and is now a sort of Wild West graveyard for robot-kind. That’s where it starts anyway.
The real question for this book is, can a reader relate to a robot character enough to care about them and follow them through the story? It’s here that Cargill’s unusually good prose really keeps the story on the rails and draws the reader in. I repeatedly found myself marveling at just how relatable the protagonist’s desires and fears were, considering that there’s no overt attempt to make it feel human. It’s a wonderful feat of perspective and interiority that speaks to humanity by humanity’s absence.
THE GOLEM AND THE JINNI, by Helene Wecker
This entry is more fantasy (and historical fiction) than straight sci fi, but it’s equally as engaging. The concept is a book about the meeting and relationship of two supernatural creatures (a golem and a jinni, if you can believe it) in New York City in ~1900. They strike up a friendship, deal with threats, help each other even though they’re so different, etc.
What really shines, though, is the cultural blend achieved by Wecker in this mesmerizing tale. It’s Yiddish, it’s Middle Eastern, it’s American, it’s universal and it’s human, even though neither of the main characters is. It’s a magical fable, yet it’s very specific, eschewing easy moral lessons for an at times downright Kabbalistic emphasis on duality and ambiguity. I couldn’t stop reading and you won’t want to either.
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Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed these recommendations, please help me out by liking, commenting, or sharing with friends. Have a great week, and I’ll be back next Sunday with another original story!
“The real question for this book is, can a reader relate to a robot character enough to care about them and follow them through the story?” People got legitimately upset because NASA's rovers Opportunity and InSight died on Mars. You can get anyone attached to anything if the story is good enough.
I reserved Recursion at the Seattle Library- a ten week wait! Obviously getting some good reviews. Thanks for the recommendations.