In Universes
A Novel
by Emet North
This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
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Pub Date Apr 30 2024 | Archive Date Jun 25 2024
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Description
NEW YORK TIMES' 10 BEST SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY BOOKS OF THE YEAR
“Haunting and hopeful, precise and lingering as the pressure of a finger in a delicate, vulnerable place.” – New York Times Book Review
An Esquire and Literary Hub Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Book of the Year • A Best Pride Read by People and Brit + Co • A Parade Best New Book Release • A Best New Science Fiction Book by New Scientist • A Most Anticipated Book of 2024 by Tor.com, Bustle, Literary Hub, Autostraddle, Gizmodo, IGN, and Lilith Magazine
"Baffingly good." – Jordy Rosenberg, author of Confessions of the Fox
"A miracle of physics and art." – Julia Phillips, author of Disappearing Earth
For fans of Emily St. John Mandel and Kelly Link, a profoundly imaginative debut novel set in numerous universes, which follows a queer physicist’s search for belonging across time and space.
Raffi works in an observational cosmology lab, searching for dark matter and trying to hide how little they understand their own research. Every chance they get, they escape to see Britt, a queer sculptor who fascinates them for reasons they also can’t—or won’t—understand. As Raffi’s carefully constructed life begins to collapse, they become increasingly fixated on the multiverse and the idea that somewhere, there may be a universe where they mean as much to Britt as Britt does to them . . . and just like that, Raffi and Britt are thirteen years old, on the cusp of friendship, and maybe something more.
In Universes is a meditation on self-destruction and reconstruction, and a mind-bending tour across parallel worlds, each an answer to the question of what Raffi’s life would be like if they had made slightly different choices. The universes grow increasingly strange as Raffi flees the ever-present specter of guilt: women fracture into hordes of animals; alien-possessed bears prowl apocalyptic landscapes. But across worlds, Raffi—with their sometimes-friends, sometimes-lovers Britt, Kay, and Graham—reaches for a life that feels authentically their own.
Blending realism with science fiction, In Universes explores the thirst for genius, the fluidity of gender and identity, and the pull of despair against the desire to lead a meaningful life, insisting on the transgressive power of hope even in the darkest of times.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9780063314870 |
| PRICE | $26.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 240 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
D. A, Reviewer
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper for the early copy of this absolutely mindblowing book!
There are some books and some writers that are so awe-inspiring and achingly beautiful that they widen your universe, they push on the edges of your reality, and create space for something new. Emet North and IN UNIVERSES did more than just expand my one singular life and universe, this book, like the world inside of it, made my own universe feel vast and multitudinous. North's skill with prose rearranged everything inside of me, I don't know a better modern writer. These universes, these characters, and these worlds will impress upon me for a long long time.
This book is perfect for fans of queer and human-soaked fiction with whispers of sci-fi, like Emily St. John Mandel, Ted Chiang, or Carmen Maria Machado.
I can't wait to make every single person I know read this book. I can't wait to read this book again. I can't wait to follow the inevitable rocket that will be North's literary career.
J R, Reviewer
wildly queer, wildly weird, and a simply gorgeous adventure throughout space and time, and universes of all kinds. thanks for the arc.
Mike D, Reviewer
This was good. Very good. In fact, there’s a very good chance this book is brilliant. It’s certainly one of the best I’ve read in some time. One of those books that awes you as a reader and humbles you as a writer.
Everything about it, from the cleverly constructed many-worlds narrative to the language itself is a thing of singular beauty.
Quantum physics and personal connections are the two constant and equally unfathomable factors that the protagonist of this novel wrestles with, from page to page, from world to world. And it is a journey well worth taking.
Emotionally evocative, gut-wrenchingly real, wildly imaginative, vividly rendered, terribly romantic even … in what universe would you not want to read it?
Well done, Emet North! Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.
Ingrid N, Reviewer
I think there's something beautiful, enchanting and sad about the complicity of "not understanting the universe together". WOW. So much more than I expecting. It's like a love letter to sci-fi and time travel, through queer contemporary eyes.
#InUniverses #NetGalley
Karissa D, Librarian
this is the best book i've read in a while. absolutely gorgeous writing, queer multiverses, surreal worlds. i read it voraciously.
Mike B, Reviewer
An absorbing exploration of a kaleidoscopic set of parallel worlds – delving into trauma, grief, and the complexities of healing from our fractures.
North’s writing is engaging and imaginative in the ways it plumbs the depths of Raffi’s psyche and their search for belonging. As the kaleidoscope turns, each subsequent world spins off its axis. Details change, relationships flip, and roles reverse, but some version of Raffi remains a constant amidst the swirling chaos.
I really enjoyed my time immersed in the pages of In Universes. It’s a compelling and vivid read bound to pull you into its multiversal web.
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