In Universes
A Novel
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4.8 • 9 Ratings
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
*Shortlisted for the Brooklyn Public Library Book Prize in Fiction*
NEW YORK TIMES' 10 BEST SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY BOOKS OF THE YEAR
An Esquire and Literary Hub Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Book of the Year • An Autostraddle Best Queer Book of 2024 • A Best Pride Read by People and Brit + Co • A Parade Best New Book Release • A Best New Science Fiction Book by New Scientist • A Most Anticipated Book of 2024 by Tor.com, Bustle, Literary Hub, Autostraddle, Gizmodo, IGN, and Lilith Magazine • Winner of the Otherwise Award • Long-listed for the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award
For fans of Emily St. John Mandel and Kelly Link, a kaleidoscopic debut literary science fiction novel set in numerous universes, which follows a queer physicist’s search for belonging across time and space.
Raffi works in an observational cosmology lab, searching for dark matter and trying to hide how little they understand their own research. Every chance they get, they escape to see Britt, a queer sculptor who fascinates them for reasons they also can’t—or won’t—understand. As Raffi’s carefully constructed life begins to collapse, they become increasingly fixated on the multiverse—a core conceit in this moving work of speculative fiction—and the idea that somewhere, there may be a universe where they mean as much to Britt as Britt does to them . . . and just like that, Raffi and Britt are thirteen years old, on the cusp of friendship, and maybe something more.
A meditation on self-destruction and reconstruction, In Universes is a mind-bending tour across parallel worlds, each an answer to the question of what Raffi’s life would be like if they had made slightly different choices. The universes grow increasingly strange as Raffi flees the ever-present specter of guilt: women fracture into hordes of animals; alien-possessed bears prowl apocalyptic landscapes. But across worlds, Raffi—with their sometimes-friends, sometimes-lovers Britt, Kay, and Graham—reaches for a life that feels authentically their own.
Blending realism with science fiction, In Universes explores the thirst for genius, the fluidity of gender and identity, and the pull of despair against the desire to lead a meaningful life, insisting on the transgressive power of hope even in the darkest of times.
"Baffingly good." – Jordy Rosenberg, author of Confessions of the Fox
"A miracle of physics and art." – Julia Phillips, author of Disappearing Earth
What happens when the search for a different life fractures reality itself?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
North beguiles with a soul-stirring debut following a scientist named Raffi as they travel the multiverse in search of the woman they love. Raffi is studying dark matter when they reconnect with Britt, an artist. The two grew up together, but never became friends because Raffi was too shy. Inspired by the happiness they now feel with Britt and driven by an interest in the possibility of branching universes, they quit their job to study theories of parallel worlds in search of a universe where they had the courage to speak to Britt at 13. Each chapter portrays a new parallel world as Raffi's consciousness slips between them, encountering new versions of their friends, forbidden loves, romantic partners, and even complete strangers. In the different universes, Raffi is variously a scientist, a professor, an artist, and a restaurant worker. Some chapters employ speculative elements, while others feel hauntingly real. Each convey a poetic sensibility ("There are some things in the universe you can only find by looking away from them," a lab professor tells Raffi, as they grapple with their unrealized desire for a world where things can go right with Britt). This crackling chronicle of queer love is a must read. Agents: Hafizah Geter and PJ Mark, Janklow & Nesbit Assoc.
