Writer Reinvents a Classic With ‘Scrooge . . . The Relapse’
John McCaffrey is a prolific writer and creative writing teacher who lives in Wainscott. Durell Godfrey In the earliest days
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I don’t always highlight SFF sequels in these monthly lists, but I’m trying to be better about doing so, because so many book series suffer in sales if readers are waiting until they’re complete to buy all of them, instead of following along (or at least buying, even if you read later!) with each new release. It so happens that 2024 is ending on a note of “to be continued”—that is, a number of this month’s books are direct or standalone sequels. The world may be burning (again) (in several senses of the word), but life continues on. These books bring hope in that there are always new stories to tell, from a cli-fi retelling of Shakespeare’s King Lear to a comic book thriller to an amnesia plague. These books are joyfully and defiantly queer; they challenge closed-mindedness and xenophobia; they engage directly with the issues literally changing the surface of our planet. They are all worth the read. the shutouts Gabrielle Korn, The Shutouts (St. Martin’s Press, December 3) In last year’s Yours for the Taking , culture writer Gabrielle Korn transplanted an increasingly familiar story—woman gets offer to join exclusive enclave, only to discover the sinister secrets behind this #girlboss cabal—into a dystopian future. When Ava gets the chance to enter The Inside Project, protected from climate change and civil unrest, she must leave behind her girlfriend Orchid, who does not make the cut. The Shutouts is a sequel set almost 40 years later, as Ava and her daughter Brook escape from Inside and their terrible existence being experimented on. And who do they meet but Orchid, who has become a survivalist and is looking to rescue Ava before linking back up with her climate refugee group. It’s a smart move, following up the first book with the perspective of those not invited to join the elite project, grimly facing how the outside world has changed. ardent violet Alex White, Ardent Violet and the Infinite Eye (Orbit Books, December 3) In August Kitko and the Mechas from Space , the titular jazz pianist discovered the way to […]
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John McCaffrey is a prolific writer and creative writing teacher who lives in Wainscott. Durell Godfrey In the earliest days
Credit: Katie Schneider Gumiran and Rosa Gaia for Conway Elementary An instructional leader in a Bay Area school district told
