From reading the first fifty or so pages, a reader might be left with two key impressions of Paul Tremblay’s novel Dead But Dreaming of Electric Sheep. The first is that it represents something of a return to Tremblay’s crime-fiction roots, albeit with a science fiction twist; the second is that, as the title suggests, it’s an homage to Philip K. Dick. Both are true, up to a point, but this book also represents something of a genre-straddling sleight of hand.
In our morning reading: an excerpt from Colin Asher’s new book, thoughts on BASIC’s latest album, and more.
Grace’s Tree
by Selen Ozturk
Paul asked me to kill a tree. I needed a permit under the Marin County Municipal Ordinance Code §223.24. I shat and ate permits at this point.
In our weekend reading: talking books with Valeria Luiselli, thoughts on Scott McClanahan’s new book, and more.
In our morning reading: thoughts on Solvej Balle’s fiction, a Colson Whitehead-inspired walking tour, and more.
In our afternoon reading: Tricky on music, revisiting Paul Klee’s art, and more.
There are infinite ways for our heroes to disappoint us. In Julie Buntin’s latest novel Famous Men, she explores an issue that too many women face: What happens when the men they look up to take advantage of their admiration?
The novel follows the life of Wilhelmina (Will) Miles, a girl who grows up in the same small Michigan town as celebrity writer Nathaniel Fellow. His many books are the star of her mother’s bookshelf, one of which is signed with a sentimental note that makes Will wonder if he is actually the father she grew up without. So, when she finally moves away from home, she seeks him out in New York City. He promptly hires her as an assistant, seemingly as a favor, and makes an exception to let her audit his MFA classes. It doesn’t take long for his mentorship to morph into a secret relationship that shapes Will’s whole life and career as a writer.
In our morning reading: thoughts on Colson Whitehead’s new novel, Dave Eggers on AI, and more.