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The Circumference of the World

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( 637 ratings, 153 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Circumference of the World by Lavie Tidhar blends science fiction with literary mystery, exploring the concept of an infamous lost book that's at the centre of a cosmic enigma. The narrative weaves through the lives of characters drawn into the mystery, each connected by their obsession with the book's secrets. The story challenges the boundaries of reality and fiction, offering a rich tapestry of speculative ideas and intriguing questions.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're interested in an intertwining tale that mixes science fiction, mystery, and literary quest. It delves into the search for a mysterious book, blending on-the-edge ideas with complex characters and cosmic themes. Ideal for those who appreciate a blend of genre-bending narratives with a unique philosophical twist.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Caught between realities, a mathematician, a book dealer, and a mobster desperately seek a notorious book that disappears upon being read. Only the author, a rakish sci-fi writer, knows whether his popular novel is truthful or a hoax. In a story that is cosmic, inventive, and sly, multi-award-winning author Lavie Tidhar (Central Station) travels from the emergence of life to the very ends of the universe.

Delia Welegtabit discovered two things during her childhood on a South Pacific island: her love for mathematics and a novel that isn't supposed to exist. But the elusive book proves unexpectedly dangerous. Oskar Lens, a science fiction-obsessed mobster in the midst of an existential crisis, will stop at nothing to find the novel. After Delia's husband Levi goes missing, she seeks help from Daniel Chase, a young, face-blind book dealer.

The infamous novel Lode Stars was written by the infamous Eugene Charles Hartley: legendary pulp science-fiction writer and founder of the Church of the All-Seeing Eyes. In Hartley's novel, a doppelganger of Delia searches for her missing father in a strange star system. But is any of Lode Stars real? Was Hartley a cynical conman on a quest for wealth and immortality, creating a religion he did not believe in? Or was he a visionary who truly discovered the secrets of the universe?

Brilliant and bizarre, Lavie Tidhar's The Circumference of the World is many things - but fundamentally it is a love letter to the Golden Age of science fiction, whether or not it deserves it (it does), as well as a love letter to its writers, whether or not they deserve it (they don't. Well, mostly.). - Molly Tanzer, author of Vermilion and Creatures of Will and Temper

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The book by Lavie Tidhar is celebrated for its inventive, thought-provoking, and audacious narrative, highlighted as a speculative masterpiece. It intricately weaves elements from the Golden Age of science fiction with modern meta-fiction twists, creating a compelling story of obsession and intrigue surrounding a mysterious book. Critics have praised Tidhar's narrative style for its rich portrayal of characters and a fascinating blend of rational thought, mysticism, and cosmic speculation, likening it to works by Philip K. Dick and other acclaimed authors.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781616963620

Publisher: Tachyon Publications

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 05 September 2023

Country: United States

Imprint: Tachyon Publications

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 139.0mm

Height: 217.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 256

About the Author

British Science Fiction, British Fantasy, and World Fantasy Award winning author Lavie Tidhar (A Man Lies Dreaming, The Escapement, Unholy Land, The Hood) is an acclaimed author of literature, science fiction, fantasy, graphic novels, and middle grade fiction. Tidhar received the Campbell, Xingyun, and Neukom awards for the novel Central Station. In addition to his fiction and nonfiction, Tidhar is the editor of the Apex Best of World Science Fiction series and a columnist for the Washington Post. His speaking appearances include Cambridge University, PEN, and the Singapore Writers Festival. He has been a Guest of Honour at book conventions in Japan, Poland, Spain, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, China, and elsewhere; he is currently a visiting professor and writer in residence at the American International University. Tidhar currently resides with his family in London.

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