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The Violent Century

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( 1,211 ratings, 216 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
In The Violent Century by Lavie Tidhar, the story unfolds in an alternate history where super-powered individuals have been part of global events throughout the 20th century. The novel intriguingly intertwines espionage, war, and personal stories, following two key characters, Fogg and Oblivion, who navigate their way through shifting global tensions. The narrative explores themes of friendship, loyalty, and the moral complexities of power, set against a backdrop of significant historical moments.
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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 like this book if you're intrigued by alternate histories and enjoy stories where superhumans influence key events of the 20th century. This tale blends espionage, war, and mystery, set against a backdrop of global upheaval, offering a fresh take on the superhero genre with a literary twist.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

'A brilliantly etched phantasmagoric reconfiguring of that most sizzling of eras - the twilight 20th...a torrid tour de force.' - James Ellroy, author of L.A. Confidential and Blood's a Rover

Promotion at major trade and genre conventions, including the World Science Fiction and World Fantasy conventions; ALA; the Nebula Awards; and Readercon Promotion targeting genre, mainstream, pop culture themed media, including reviews and interviews such as NPR, the New York Times, Washington Post, New York Review of Science Fiction, UK Guardian, and the Chicago Tribune Planned book giveaways on Goodreads, SF Signal, and other online outletsPromotion on publisher and author social media (@LavieTidhar; facebook.com/lavietidhar)

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

A bold experiment has mutated a small fraction of humanity. Nations race to harness the gifted, putting them to increasingly dark ends. At the dawn of global war, flashy American superheroes square off against sinister Germans and dissolute Russians. Increasingly depraved scientists conduct despicable research in the name of victory.

British agents Fogg and Oblivion, recalled to the Retirement Bureau, have kept a treacherous secret for over forty years. But all heroes must choose when to join the fray, and to whom their allegiance is owedβ€”even for just one perfect summer's day.

The Violent Century is described by James Ellroy, author of L.A. Confidential and Blood's a Rover, as "a brilliantly etched phantasmagoric reconfiguring of that most sizzling of erasβ€”the twilight 20th...a torrid tour de force."

The Daily Mail praises it as "a sophisticated, moving and gripping take on 20th-century conflicts and our capacity for love and hate, honour and betrayal."

The Guardian highlights how "Tidhar synthesises the geeky and the political in a vision of world events that breaks new superhero ground."

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 Violent Century by Lavie Tidhar is highly praised for its sophisticated blend of fantasy with real historical events, featuring flawed superheroes throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Critics describe it as emotionally weighty and intellectually stimulating, with a narrative that stays with the reader. The novel is admired for its impressive plotting, gripping storytelling, complex characterisation, and for setting new grounds in the superhero genre, drawing comparisons to works by Alan Moore and Philip K. Dick.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781616963163

Publisher: Tachyon Publications

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 23 July 2019

Country: United States

Imprint: Tachyon Publications

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 140.0mm

Height: 215.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 332

About the Author

Lavie Tidhar (The Bookman; Unholy Land; A Man Lies Dreaming) is the author of the breakout Campbell and Neukom award-winning novel Central Station, which has been translated into ten languages. He has also received the British Science Fiction, Neukom Literary, and World Fantasy awards. Tidhar was born in Israel, grew up on a kibbutz, has lived in South Africa, Laos, and Vanuatu, and currently resides in London.

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