December 11, 2023
Guild’s zany debut depicts a near future reshaped by a devastating war, climate disaster, and virtual reality. After people resort to burning chicken bones as an energy source, the consequent “HeatLeap” prompts eco-terrorists to stage violent attacks on businesses. When the terrorists strike a tech retail outlet, an employee named Erin who is a “figurine” made of plastic comes to the aid of Jacob, a customer and fellow figurine who is blind. The two begin a tentative relationship, both in the “real” world and in the simulated “Smartworld.” Meanwhile, Erin starts receiving warnings of impending attacks on her in Smartworld from avatars. Guild styles the story of Erin’s life as a television series, with chapters framed as synopses of “episodes” and occasional monologues to the audience. Alongside Erin’s “show” are descriptions of a sitcom called Nuclear Family, set in the first year after the war and depicting a Romeo and Juliet–like teenage romance between a plastic figurine and a waffle. Though the novel’s considerations of such weighty issues as terrorism and the despoliation of the planet are generally skin-deep, Guild shines in his impressions of a speculative world where waffles are viewed with suspicion in the plastic community for “crav the syrup of power above all else.” It’s great fun watching Guild arrange the pieces of this inspired allegory. Agent: Bill Clegg, Clegg Agency.
Starred review from May 31, 2024
Guild's sparkling debut, narrated with panache by Jorjeana Marie and Will Damron, introduces listeners to a near-future world wracked by climate change and ecoterrorism and populated by plastic figurines. Erin is one such individual, living a seemingly ordered life, with a diet consisting of bland chicken and a job where she sells Smartbodies, wearable technology that allows users to escape into a virtual world free of government monitoring and violence. Having lost several people close to her, Erin is familiar with death. An attack on her workplace leads her to connect with one of her customers--Jacob, who is a blind figurine. Together, they navigate the dangers of both the virtual and the real world. Marie and Damron communicate the characters' heartbreaking yet humorous journey, enlivened by jaunty tech-speak and episodes from a television show that reveal the cracks beneath this complex world's shiny exterior. Musical numbers written specifically for the book enhance the novel's sense of unreality and playfulness. VERDICT The perfect listen for fans of tragicomedy, the movie Barbie, and those seeking their next techno-dystopian universe. A must-listen.--Elyssa Everling
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