Rag (noun): a composition in ragtime

Dubbed a “nanotech Western,” Alex Irvine’s latest novel is a wild, whirling ride of a read; a wickedly engaging dance through the effects of the human hand on the world around us.

Anthropocene Rag is set in a post-apocalyptic future where nanotechnology has ravaged the United States. Real human beings live alongside creations of artificial intelligence (AI), at times virtually indistinguishable from one another. Nanotech causes landscapes to shift right before one’s very eyes, showing decades of growth and change in mere minutes, anticipating who is coming and shifting itself accordingly. It swallows up people, both alive and dead, using them in new fabrications to meet it’s desires and whims. It also brings prominent Americans back to life (or seemingly so). For example: Henry Ford is spotted at one of his automobile manufacturing plants, Mark Twain is befriended on a Mississippi riverboat.

The story centres on a curious selection of six individuals who journey through this surreal world on a quest to find Monument City after being given “golden tickets” to enter the enigmatic land. These six come from all corners of the country in search of the storied city which, as indicated by its name, is said to hold monuments collected from across the world; yet they all share one surprising thing in common: they are orphans. Their tickets are distributed by Prospector Ed, an “emergent AI” (translate: an AI who is evolving, breaking the rules of his programming, as he yearns for humanity). But why did Ed choose these individuals in particular? Why does he want them to go to Monument City? And does the city even really exist?

Irvine constructs his story much like the nanotech comes together and breaks apart in bits and pieces, fits and starts, until the reader notches information together to create their own understanding of the world. The inhabitants of this futuristic land often have difficulty telling what is real versus what is not, with the reader sharing this experience right alongside them. While following this fascinating journey, Irvine’s narrative also considers the implications of technology on our future as a country, and as individuals, forewarning of what the world could become. And in many cases, what it already has become. He offers a sharp and timely commentary on capitalism and questions the validity of fables we as a culture create and long to preserve.

If you are looking for a completely unique read which is both easily engaging yet requires close attention, I definitely recommend Anthropocene Rag! The closest thing that comes to mind is the magic of HBO’s Westworld, which splices a contemporary Western with the infiltration of technology to create a similar tone and feel.

Anthropocene Rag is available from Amazon, Book Depository and other good book retailers like your local bookstore! Thanks to Tor.com Publishing for providing an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Will you be picking up Anthropocene Rag? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

Anthropocene Rag is ‘a rare distillation of nanotech, apocalypse, and mythic Americana into a heady psychedelic brew.’—Nebula and World Fantasy award-winning author Jeffrey Ford

In the future United States, our own history has faded into myth and traveling across the country means navigating wastelands and ever-changing landscapes.

The country teems with monsters and artificial intelligences try to unpack their own becoming by recreating myths and legends of their human creators. Prospector Ed, an emergent AI who wants to understand the people who made him, assembles a ragtag team to reach the mythical Monument City.

In this nanotech Western, Alex Irvine infuses American mythmaking with terrifying questions about the future and who we will become.

The post Review: Anthropocene Rag by Alex Irvine appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Providence by Max Barry
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From the ingenious author of Jennifer Government and Lexicon: a brilliant work of science fiction that tells the intimate tale of four people facing their most desperate hour–alone, together, at the edge of the universe.

The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin
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Five New Yorkers must come together in order to defend their city in the first book of a stunning new series by Hugo award-winning and NYT bestselling author N. K. Jemisin.

Anthropocene Rag by Alex Irvine
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Anthropocene Rag is “a rare distillation of nanotech, apocalypse, and mythic Americana into a heady psychedelic brew.”—Nebula and World Fantasy award-winning author Jeffrey Ford

Witches of Ash and Ruin by E. Latimer
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Modern witchcraft blends with ancient Celtic mythology in an epic clash of witches and gods, perfect for fans of V.E. Schwab’s Shades of Magic trilogy and A Discovery of Witches.

The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo
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With the heart of an Atwood tale and the visuals of a classic Asian period drama The Empress of Salt and Fortune is a tightly and lushly written narrative about empire, storytelling, and the anger of women.

Cries from the Lost Island by Kathleen O’Neal Gear
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This standalone fantasy brings an ancient Egyptian mystery to life against a modern background, in a tale expertly crafted by a seasoned anthropologist.

The Companions by Katie M. Flynn
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Station Eleven meets Never Let Me Go in this debut novel set in an unsettling near future where the dead can be uploaded to machines and kept in service by the living.

Bone ​Crier’s Moon by Kathryn Purdie
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From #1 New York Times bestselling author Kathryn Purdie comes a high-stakes fantasy duology flush with doomed romance and macabre magic, perfect for fans of Stephanie Garber and Roshani Chokshi.

The Killing Fog by Jeff Wheeler
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The Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Kingfountain series conjures an epic, adventurous world of ancient myth and magic as a young woman’s battle with infinite evil begins.

A Phoenix First Must Burn by Patrice Caldwell
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Sixteen tales by bestselling and award-winning authors that explore the Black experience through fantasy, science fiction, and magic. Authors include Elizabeth Acevedo, Amerie, Dhonielle Clayton, Jalissa Corrie, Somaiya Daud, Charlotte Davis, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Justina Ireland, Danny Lore, L.L. McKinney, Danielle Paige, Rebecca Roanhorse, Karen Strong, Ashley Woodfolk, and Ibi Zoboi.

The Last Human by Zack Jordan
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The last human in the universe must battle unfathomable alien intelligences—and confront the truth about humanity—in this ambitious, galaxy-spanning debut

Hearts of Oak by Eddie Robson
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Hearts of Oak is a delightful science fiction adventure from Eddie Robson, the creator of the acclaimed Welcome to Our Village, Please Invade Carefully.

What fantasy and sci-fi release are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

The post March 2020 Book Releases: Fantasy + Sci-Fi appeared first on The Nerd Daily.