A review by spacesong
American Elsewhere by Robert Jackson Bennett
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Literally one of the best books I’ve ever read and definitely my favorite.
This book is basically everything I love about horror and sci-fi. Eldritch entities - check
A perfect town that seems a little too perfect - check
Science fiction that attempts to be grounded in real world theories - check
A genre I like to call ‘midwestern gothic’ - check
It’s written well and the narrative grips you relentlessly as your imagination runs wild with what ifs.
‘What’s going on with the town?’ ‘Is the main character really human?’
‘What’s with the mysterious laboratory up on the mesa?’
The ending is satisfying, for the most part. And certain parts of the book left me reflective on what it means to be human. ‘What lengths would I go to survive?’ ‘Would doing what was needed to survive make me lose my humanity?’ ‘Can things that are not human have what’s essential in humanity?’
Overall, a fantastic read that will grip you from start to finish and leave you questioning the human condition.
This book is basically everything I love about horror and sci-fi. Eldritch entities - check
A perfect town that seems a little too perfect - check
Science fiction that attempts to be grounded in real world theories - check
A genre I like to call ‘midwestern gothic’ - check
It’s written well and the narrative grips you relentlessly as your imagination runs wild with what ifs.
‘What’s going on with the town?’ ‘Is the main character really human?’
‘What’s with the mysterious laboratory up on the mesa?’
The ending is satisfying, for the most part. And certain parts of the book left me reflective on what it means to be human. ‘What lengths would I go to survive?’ ‘Would doing what was needed to survive make me lose my humanity?’ ‘Can things that are not human have what’s essential in humanity?’
Overall, a fantastic read that will grip you from start to finish and leave you questioning the human condition.