The second novel from Costa First Novel Award shortlisted author Nikesh Shukla. 'The first and last thing I do every day is see what strangers are saying about me.' Kitab Balasubramanyam has had a rough few months. His girlfriend left him. He got fired from the job he hated for writing a novel on company time, but the novel didn't sell and now he's burning through his mum's life insurance money. His father has more success with women than he does, and his Facebook comments get more likes. Kitab is reduced to spending all of his time in his flat with his brother Aziz, coming up with ideas for novelty Tumblrs and composing amusing tweets. But now even Aziz has left him, travelling to America to find his doppelganger. So what happens when Kitab Balasubramanyam's only internet namesake turns up on his doorstep and insists that they are meant to be friends? Meatspace is a hilarious and troubling analysis of what happens when our lives become nothing more than an aggregation of shared content, when our online personas are more interesting than real life. A brilliant follow-up from an acclaimed young novelist writing at the sharp edge of modern life.
'Meatspace is the greatest book on loneliness since The Catcher in the Rye' - GARY SHTEYNGART, author of Super Sad True Love Story
'Meatspace is funny. Damn funny. You should really switch off your computer and read it.' MATT HAIG, author of The Humans
'Meatspace is, simply, one of the finest novels I have ever read about modern life and modern living. Douglas Coupland, Junot Diaz, Chuck Palahniuk and Jennifer Egan: stick them in a blender, and out comes this amazing new novel by one of the UK's most distinct voices.' JAMES SMYTHE, author of The Explorer
'Shukla writes with precision, humour and honesty, about the isolation that social media can bring. Meatspace is a novel with many laugh-out-loud moments, break-dancing to the arrhythmia of its existential heart.' NIKITA LALWANI, author of Gifted
'If the purpose of a novel is to make sense of how we live now, Nikesh Shukla's Meatspace fulfills that promise #ennuiisananalogueconstruct' - NIVEN GOVINDEN, author of Black Bread White Beer'
Author
About Nikesh Shukla
Nikesh Shukla is a London-based author, filmmaker and poet. His writing has featured on BBC2, BBC Radio 1 and 4, BBC Asian Network and Resonance FM. He has performed at Royal Festival Hall, Book Club Boutique, Soho Theatre, The Big Chill, Rise Festival and Glastonbury. He is currently working on a sitcom for Channel 4.
