Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel

I’m going to add Emily St. John Mandel to the list of authors I read obsessively. Each one I read always seems to be better than the last. Some authors with this many books under their belt often forget how important it is to be merciless during editing.

Sea of Tranquility

This is one of those books that my wife (along with the Matt Smith) would probably describe as “a bit Sea timey-whimey”.

The book follows the circular rise and fall of Gaspery Jacques-Roberts, a fecklessly unremarkable individual with a high-achieving sister, Zoey. Through his sister’s connection with the Time Institute, and following a rigorous five-year training programme, Gaspery graduates as a field operative: entrusted to travel through time, correcting anomalies that could impact the Institute’s agenda.

The rules of time-travel are strict, and punishment for breaking those rules are harsh and permanent, and that, for Gaspery, is where the trouble starts. …

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Every Version of You by Grace Chan

One word for this one: stunning.

A poetic, imaginative science-fiction drama that’s less about the science and more about the people — specifically, Tao-Yi and her small group of closely-knit friends.

Every Version of You

The story begins in future, where, unsurprisingly, the majority of the planet spends far too much time in Gaia: a virtual reality which provides an idyllic environment that’s far removed from a planet choking from pollution, global warming and the kind of environmental damage that is as terrifying as it is inevitable.

Tao-Yi spends most of her waking hours submerged in a Nuegel tank which provides the sensory feedback for the denizens of Gaia that makes it as close to real life as is humanly possible.

But there’s always room for improvement. …

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