"Perfectly bittersweet, this cosy dystopian novel set in a near future where the Grid is in control and small sentient appliances look after their humans, is both profound and charming."
If you usually turn your back on science fiction and fantasy, please pause and consider this beautifully creative and thought-provoking novel. Set in the near future and character-driven, it feels authentic and almost touchable. A number of sentient appliances look after Harold and his home, when the Grid determines Harold should be moved after his wife dies, a plan is set in motion. The human capacity for creativity, kindness and empathy are themes that resonate throughout the novel as music and literature play across the pages. The majority of the novel is set within the home and recognisable even with the smart appliances, and so inclusion of the outside world jars and unsettles. Star of the show is undoubtedly Scout the hoover, who named herself after listening to Harold read To Kill a Mockingbird to his wife. She acts as a bridge between the humans and appliances, her capacity for thoughtful contemplation and kindness is moving and also provocative. While heart warming, there is a darker side to this novel so be prepared to walk for a time alongside sadness and grief. I fell in love with the appliances and so as well as a Liz Pick of the Month, this also joins our LoveReading Star Books. If you talk to inanimate objects, love a twist on cosy, or delight in engaging sci-fi and fantasy then I can recommend this book to you. Profoundly quirky and gently provocative, this cosy dystopian novel is fully capable of tugging on your heartstrings.
| Primary Genre | Science Fiction |
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A heartwarming, joyous and profound love letter to books and the power of connection found in the most unexpected places
'And that's why I want to be called Scout'
'It's most unusual, said Clock.
'She's the one who listens and learns,' Scout said. 'She's like me.' She paused and set her voice to pensive. 'You already have names. I'd like one too.'
In a self-running smart house, a young sentient hoover listens as her owner, Harold, reads aloud to his dying wife, Edie. Mesmerized by To Kill a Mockingbird and craving human connection, the little vacuum renames herself Scout and embarks on a journey of self-discovery.
But when Edie passes away, Scout and her fellow appliances discover that the omnipresent Grid, which monitors every household in the City, wants to displace Harold from the home he's lived in for fifty years. With the help of a neighbourhood boy, and Harold and Edie's daughter, the humans and the appliances must come together to outwit the Grid before they lose everything they hold dear. . .
The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances features in the following genres: Book Club Recommendations, Liz Robinson's Picks of the Month, Recommendations, Star Books, Dystopian and utopian fiction, Feel-Good Fiction, Humorous Fiction, Science Fiction, Shorter Reads, Fiction, Humorous Fiction, Science Fiction, Science Fiction, Narrative theme: Death, grief, loss, Narrative theme: Identity / belonging, Narrative theme: Social issues
The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances is available in Hardback
The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances was written by Glenn Dixon and published by Faber & Faber
The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances has 224 pages
£9.00
