Something New Under the Sun
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Author Description
A WHITE REVIEW BOOK OF THE YEAR A LIT HUB BEST BOOK OF 2021 ‘Magnificent and stunning’ Jeff VanderMeer ‘An immense achievement. Masterful and merciless’ Olivia Sudjic ‘Expertly conjures California noir filtered through the ambient and not-so-ambient apocalypse’ Emma Cline Patrick Hamlin has come from New York to Hollywood to see his novel be adapted for the screen, but why does he get the strange feeling that the film isn’t even being made, that it’s just a smokescreen for something else? Troubled starlet Cassidy Carter is due to play the female lead in the film, but why doesn’t she seem to care what happens on set? Does she know something he doesn’t? Or can she help him get to the truth? His wife Alison has taken their daughter Nora to a commune in upstate New York to mourn the destruction of nature, but is she safe there or is the Earthbridge community a cult exploiting her anxieties? When fires rage through the Californian landscape, how is it that a certain type of tiny pale blue flower remains sweetly blue, not singed by the flames? And what is the truth about WAT-R, the synthetic water everyone drinks out in LA? Is it really as harmless as everyone says? Ablaze with vivid, unforgettable images and smouldering with elegiac menace, Something New Under the Sun is an unmissable novel for our present moment – a bold exploration of capitalism, corruption and environmental catastrophe, and as entertaining, alluring and beautiful as it is devastating. 'An urgent novel about our very near future and a deeply addictive pleasure... Kleeman is a phenomenon, one of the most brilliant and gifted writers at work today’ Katie Kitamura, author of Intimacies
Menrva's Summary
THE PULSE
Patrick Hamlin arrives in Hollywood to adapt his novel, only to suspect the film is a facade for something far more sinister. He finds himself entangled with troubled starlet Cassidy Carter, who seems to hold secrets about the production, and his wife Alison, who has taken their daughter Nora to a commune in upstate New York amidst growing environmental devastation. As fires consume the Californian landscape, a peculiar blue flower inexplicably survives, and questions arise about the safety of the synthetic water, WAT-R, that the city consumes, hinting at a deeper, pervasive corruption.
INSIDE THE PAGES
- A Hollywood setting where a film adaptation serves as a potential cover for unknown activities.
- The mystery surrounding the true purpose of the film production and the enigmatic starlet Cassidy Carter.
- A wife and daughter seeking refuge in a commune in upstate New York, raising concerns about its safety and nature.
- The juxtaposition of environmental catastrophe, symbolized by raging fires, with the resilience of nature, represented by a surviving blue flower.
- The pervasive presence and potential danger of synthetic water (WAT-R) in Los Angeles.
- Exploration of themes including capitalism, corruption, and environmental collapse.
- A narrative that blends elements of mystery, thriller, and speculative fiction.
THE COLLECTIVE ECHO
This novel has been recognized as a significant work, with The White Review naming it a Book of the Year and Lit Hub including it as a Best Book of 2021. Reviewers have praised its 'magnificent and stunning' qualities and described it as an 'immense achievement' that is 'masterful and merciless.' The book is noted for its expert conjuring of 'California noir filtered through the ambient and not-so-ambient apocalypse.' It is characterized as an urgent, addictive, and brilliant exploration of contemporary issues.
Page Count:
302
Publication Date:
2022-01-01
Publisher:
Harpercollins Publishers Limited
ISBN-10:
0008339120
ISBN-13:
9780008339128
Thriller
Fiction
Science Fiction
Literary Fiction
Dystopian
New York
Environmental
Subjects
