Foe
A Novel
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3.9 • 192 Ratings
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
*Now a major motion picture starring Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal*
A taut, psychological thriller from Iain Reid, “one of the most talented purveyors of weird, dark narratives in contemporary fiction” (Los Angeles Review of Books).
Severe climate change has ravaged the country, leaving behind a charred wasteland. Junior and Henrietta live a comfortable if solitary life on one of the last remaining farms. Their private existence is disturbed the day a stranger comes to the door with alarming news.
Junior has been randomly selected to travel far away from the farm, but the most unusual part is that arrangements have already been made so that when he leaves, Henrietta won’t have a chance to miss him. She won’t be left alone—not even for a moment. Henrietta will have company. Familiar company.
Told in Iain Reid’s sparse, biting style, Foe is a “mind-bending and genre-defying work of genius” (Liz Nugent, author of Unraveling Oliver) that will stay with you long after you turn the final page.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
This chilling science fiction thriller reminds us that the distance between people can take all kinds of forms. Junior and Henrietta are a married couple living on a remote farm. When a stranger named Terrance arrives to announce that Junior’s been selected to spend two years on a space station—and that Henrietta will be given an android replica of her husband to live with during that period—things get tricky and quite ominous. Iain Reid’s brilliantly sparse prose makes us feel the isolation that’s enveloping the couple both physically and emotionally. He adds just enough out-there science fiction elements to turn this tense psychological drama into something that’s spooky on a whole new level. Hang on, because the brain-bending plot twists will come hard and fast.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In the beginning of the latest nerve-wracking novel from Reid (I'm Thinking of Ending Things), Junior and Henrietta lead a peaceful, solitary life on their farm in the near future. They wake up, drink coffee, go to work, and come home. Sometimes Henrietta plays the piano they found in their house. All of that is interrupted one day by the arrival of the mysterious Terrance, sent on behalf of the space research organization OuterMore to inform Junior he's been longlisted in a lottery for a temporary resettlement expedition into space called the Installation. Junior never applied for the program, and Terrance's appearance knocks them off-kilter, but Junior and Henrietta are able to eventually put it out of their minds that is, until Terrance returns two years later to congratulate Junior on being selected for the Installation. When Junior expresses worries about being separated from Henrietta and leaving her alone, Terrance unveils the other side of the plan: while Junior is in space, a synthetic duplicate will come to take his place, working his job and keeping Henrietta company. In order to collect data for this duplicate, Terrance moves in with Junior and Henrietta, but as the days go on, Junior starts to believe there is something more sinister at play that Terrance is not telling him. Though the ending falls a little short, Reid proves once again that he is a master of atmosphere and suspense. Readers won't be able to put this one down.
Customer Reviews
Blah?
230 pages of a bad domestic relationship? One “reveal” that was predictable, anti climactic and frankly a little improper.
This One is Different
And it works. This book is so thought-provoking. Slow and taking measured steps, it brings the reader into a world of simplicity, and underlying tension. Something is off. And the book gives us a double dose of turns at the end. Very satisfying.
Very different.
Excellent!
Kept me guessing. Really enjoyed this book!