Why read The Brief History of the Dead?

Book cover of The Brief History of the Dead

Book description

From Kevin Brockmeier, one of this generation's most inventive young writers, comes a striking new novel about death, life, and the mysterious place in between.

The City is inhabited by those who have departed Earth but are still remembered by the living. They will reside in this afterlife until…

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Literary fiction

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Brief History of the Dead as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Cynthia Reeves

Author

I’d rank this novel in my top five of all time, not just as a great survival story.

This book is a post-apocalyptic fantasy novel set partly in Antarctica, a meditation on human existence, and a page-turner with keen attention to beautiful writing. Its characters grapple with essential, existential questions such as: How are we connected to the world? What happens when those last connections are broken? What is the nature of loneliness, of love? Is survival alone enough reason for living?

I’ve read this novel several times, and though I know the arc of the story and the fate…

From Cynthia's list on The best novels about survival in extreme polar environments.