New works of fiction, nonfiction, and comics that caught our attention.
WW Norton & Company
Richard Powers’ Playground is a novel of contrasts. The vast unknown of Earth’s oceans, a place of amazing creatures that are constantly being discovered and seemingly always active, and the rise of technological advances and AI. An unexpected friendship between a young poet and a boy whose life revolves around coding. A sparsely populated remote island still feeling the effects of a history of exploitation, and a technological elite who envision it as a stepping stone to their own utopia.
Through the perspectives of four characters gathered on Makatea Atoll in the South Pacific, Playground explores friendship, play, the wonders of the natural world, and humanity in the age of artificial intelligence. Powers’ writing is beautiful, and Playground promises to give you a lot to think about.
$10 on Amazon
bloomsbury sigma
A Long History of the Future: Why Tomorrow’s Technologies Don’t Exist Yet is a surprisingly entertaining look at the failures of long-touted technologies and the grand ambitions of the innovators behind them. Technology and science journalist Nicole Covey traces the decades-long roots of some of the biggest ideas that never materialized in the form once expected, including flying cars, hyperloops, and robots that could actually become reality. Take us on a journey. Kobie provides witty analysis and a wealth of anecdotes, making it extremely informative and a lot of fun to read.
$19 on Amazon
pantheon
This is a big week for those who have been waiting years for the English release of Charles Burns’ Dédales. The English version is called Final Cut. Final Cut follows a group of friends led by aspiring filmmaker Brian as they set out to create a sci-fi horror film in the vein of Brian’s favorite film, Invasion of the Body Snatchers. But things take a dark and disturbing turn as Brian becomes gripped by a nightmarish obsession that mixes romantic longing (for the film’s star, Laurie) with over-the-top artistic creativity. As is typical of Burns, the final cut has a surreal and unsettling atmosphere, made all the more impactful by his vivid illustrations. In some ways, it feels like a spiritual successor to Black Hole, and I expect this to be one of those films I keep coming back to.
$31 on Amazon
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