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Sublimation in Isabel J Kim (Picador, £18.99)
This original novel from an award-winning Korean-American short fiction writer is a heartwarming account of her experiences. Here, each border crosser who does not want to return creates a “model”: a repeater who continues their life at home. Reincarnation is possible, but after years of different experiences, Soyoung wonders if it would be the same as murder. This decision surprises his friend Yujin, who talks to his model in New York every day, waiting to be granted dual citizenship that will allow them to live a comfortable life between two countries. The story of the two is told in the second person, a confusing choice that slowly immerses the reader in the world of doppelgangers. As in our environment, travel revolves around organizational systems designed to identify and manage visitors. A classic, imaginative and thought-provoking work of fiction.
The Last Day of the Past Life by Andrés Barba, translated by Lisa Dillman (Scribe, £10.99)
The latest novel by the Spanish author of Such Small Hands is a gentle, unusual take on the subject of ghosts. A real estate agent meets a child in an empty house he’s trying to sell, and realizes he’s met a ghost. The incident makes him think about his intimate relationship and do something he has never done before. Knowing that it could be dangerous, he returns home, determined to try to help the child who is trapped in the house one more time. A short, vivid, scary story that hides deep in simplicity.
Dead But Dreaming of Electric Sheep by Paul Tremblay (Bloomsbury, £18.99)
The latest from the horror writer delves into the dark side of science fiction, imagining the creation of brain plastic that allows the dead to walk. Julia was hired to use something like a game controller to manipulate the vegetarian, making her passive body stand up, walk, turn and sit down. His mission is to lead her from California to the east coast, she needs to have her last wishes fulfilled, and she can legally die of her own choosing. There is nothing noble about their dangerous journey through airports and planes, trying to avoid attracting the attention of a man they call Bernie and pretending to be his crippled father traveling under his own power. The terrible, dark humor on the part of Julia in this story is confused with the fear in the heads from the perspective of a person who is trapped in a body that he cannot control, does not remember his name, but is desperate to escape and find answers. Things slowly escalate in a terrifying manner, leading to a sense of dread towards the end.
The carrier by Ruth Newton (Bantam, £18.99)
In this original book, the Bearer – always female – is someone who is paid to relieve someone’s pain, freeing the client from negative emotions such as jealousy, sadness or anxiety. The mechanics are not to be tested, but as a metaphor for our commercial life, especially the expectations of emotional harassment of women, are on the nose. This cleverly crafted thriller sheds light on how wealth is created by creating new habits, and how unfair treatment can be hidden, or simply accepted. An interesting read.
Time to Burn and Ellery Lloyd (Macmillan, £16.99)
In contemporary London, tech entrepreneur Inigo Frank launches his latest venture: commercial time travel. Only the very rich can afford it, and the amount of energy required to keep the front door open for a few minutes is not very practical. Also, the past is not settled. If aliens do something that will change history, even in the smallest way, no one knows how it will affect the present. The tours of the 1940s were limited to a few hours spent on the London area. When the third visit returns except for one alien and another is seriously injured, the characters have a nagging feeling that something in their lives doesn’t match their memories. A clever, entertaining time traveller, filled with unexpected twists and turns.
