Crichton’s economy of action and chaos theory speeches make the book a worthy read, but really, it’s all about the Velociraptors.
The Backlist: H.P. Lovecraft’s Great Tales of Horror
Lovecraft does not work in the realm of pure fantasy. He works in the cracks between what we know and what we do not know.
The Backlist: Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House
Some houses are born bad.
The Backlist: Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Talents
The second novel in Octavia Butler’s Parable series is a harrowing indictment of human violence and oppression.
The Backlist: Sophie’s Choice and reading Holocaust Fiction in the summer
Ruth spent her summer with a long, complicated novel about how we understand the past
The Backlist: John LeCarre’s The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
John LeCarre is the undisputed master of the spy novel, and 1963’s The Spy Who Came in from the Cold is his most important novel.
The Backlist: M.T. Anderson’s Feed
Anderson’s 2002 YA Sci-Fi novel is a powerful teen romance. And a powerful satire. And tragic parable of technology.
The Backlist: Georges Simenon’s The Strangers in the House
Georges Simenon was a writer of existential pulp fiction—and this must surely rank among his best novels.
The Backlist: Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower
Octavia Butler’s 1993 novel of societal breakdown is looking more prescient with each passing year.
The Backlist: Kurt Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle
Vonnegut’s 1963 novel surveys religion and science—and declares a pox on both houses.