I don't often cover contemporary literature. There's an agenda to everything these days, especially anything that might get literary attention, and I certainly can live without “feminist trauma” or historical fiction that “uplifts marginalized voices.” But even among the sea of Space Lawn nonsense, a few worthwhile reads stand out.
kids are not okay
Want to know why Zoomers are the most comfortable and most miserable generation in history? Matthew Davies' debut novel,Please try again,” A unique fable of Gen Z's self-imposed misery in the 21st century. The story is told in the first person, as young and wealthy Ross Muscamp pursues increasingly desperate plans to prove his maturity and win back his ex-girlfriend. He thinks he is better than everyone around him. Co-workers, parents, even ex-boyfriends. And I have a hard time understanding why they can't see it either. But as one plan after another fails, he realizes that his biggest obstacle to becoming the adult he wants to be is himself. Davis charts a Dostkoevskian psychological descent into the neurotic mind of modern men in readable and entertaining prose perfect for the digital age.
Read my full review here.
Conquering
Writing a history of conquests and empires is certainly not politically correct. Anyone who does so does so through a “critical lens.” Hampton Sides iswide wide sea,Nevertheless, the spirit of exploration shines through in the history of British navigator James Cook in the Pacific Islands. By the late 18th century, we have portraits of great men who set out to explore one of the last truly unknown regions on earth. The beauty and exoticism of the South Pacific only further emphasizes the central theme of the tragedy of imperial ambition, but one gets the sense that Sides himself doesn't really believe in it. He is as obsessed with Cook's adventures as I am, even though he self-consciously criticizes them. Cook may have been a man of his time, but his accomplishments transcend modern moral constraints.
'Mostly peaceful protests'
When you think of war reporters, you probably think of Iraq or Sudan or some third world hellhole you can't even pronounce. still””Riot Diet: One man's radical journey through chaotic America.” Reporter Richie McGinnis takes us on Floyd's summer tour of wartime America. Armed with only a cellphone and ragged gear, McGinniss was the first to dive into the months of chaos and violence that descended across America, broadcasting events that no one in the traditional media cared to cover. He not only tells his story in the book, but also includes hundreds of photos that show how “peaceful” these riots really were.
Boom Goes the Dynamite
We may have surpassed the wildest technological ambitions of those who lived just 50 years ago, but while that generation landed a man on the moon, we've also built more efficient food delivery apps. has reduced modern ambitions to simply rationalize. in “Boom: the end of bubbles and stagnation” Techno-philosophers Vern Hobart and Tobias Huber set out to find out why. They work backwards and analyze some of the biggest technological advances in modern history to figure out where we collectively went wrong. However, they discovered that the problem was not just technological, but cultural, and that the future of truly visionary innovation was far from guaranteed. Unique, thought-provoking, and innovative in its own right, this book is a must-read this year.
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Bonus: John Loftus Special
Now, don't give me any skepticism about whether a modern memoir by a liberal Canadian woman with microbangs is going to be any good. But when John Loftus (aka Mr. Right) of the Daily Caller takes the time to give a glowing review, I think it's worth considering. Read Sheila Heti's full review of Alphabetical Diaries here.
