Social Studies

Over the last couple of weeks, some people were asking what happened to my book reviews, as they had been using them as a guide to contemporary fiction. Of course, I have not stopped reading late at night, or have stopped scouring the Net for the interesting and at times, unusual, in fiction. So, to all those who had inquired, here is a shortlist of three titles that recently had me riveted to my favorite reading chair. In their own manner, these three novels take on important social issues and enrich our understanding of them via story form — as does most great fiction. Whether technology and connectivity (literal and metaphorical), social reputation and hubris, or race relations and its history, there is much to be gained in the reading of these three novels.

Crosstalk by Connie Willis (available on Amazon.com) When it comes to science fiction that still retains a lot of heart and humanity, Willis is one of my go-to authors. She manages to enthrall from a sci-fi perspective while keeping her stories grounded in everyday emotions. Her latest has to do with connectivity and the extremes to which people aspire for it. Central to the plot is a device called an EED, which is implanted via a minor surgical procedure at the neck’s base in order to achieve better empathy with your loved one. Like a form of telepathy, it allows partners to truly know if they love each other, and are meant to enter marriage, and so on — you can imagine how it can be used, misused and abused. Briddey and Trent work in a futuristic telecom, and along with CJ (a nerd IT designer) and Briddey’s hilarious Irish-American extended family, they provide the very human elements of the enchanting story. This happens as Trent proposes to Briddey; and makes having the EED attached to the both of them, a prerequisite for the engagement. The cost of such enhanced connectivity, the true motives of our protagonists, and how some things like infatuation and love will never change — all these form part of the charm of this futuristic, “old-fashioned” novel!

Reputations by Juan Gabriel Vasquez (available at National Book Store) The book author is one of the more critically acclaimed young writers of today. This latest from Vasquez is set in Colombia and chronicles the “sunset” of the life of a political cartoonist, Javier Mallarino. It is a sobering reflection about fame, about the dependability of memory, and about the long shadow a reputation can cast. “You’re nobody in this country until someone wants to hurt you” is the potent quote said about political cartoons and how they can make or break a reputation, and of course, the power bestowed on its creator. What happened in Paris a few years ago, the attack on the Charlie Hebdo political journal came to mind as I was reading this novel; as it showcases how in this day of the internet and connectivity, the power of the printed image can still be a potent one. When mixed with the very human element of a man trying to make sense of a life lived, it becomes an astute story for the ages.

Darktown by Thomas Mullen (available on Amazon.com) Set in early 1950s post-war Atlanta, this engrossing novel chronicles the lives of the first newly-hired black members of the Atlanta Police Department (APD). First taken from the perspective of two such recruits of the original eight — Lucius Boggs and Tommy Smith — we then also have the viewpoint of the existing white police officers who saw the hiring as a shameful disaster. One such white officer is blatantly racist and had been making the beat of the black cops, Darktown, his own personal “kingdom.” His partner is a more liberal officer, toeing the line and playing lip service to the prevailing tone of white supremacy; while secretly harboring thoughts of taking a stand that he knows will turn him into a pariah within the force. When a young black woman is summarily killed and no one seems to care or wants to know why, our protagonists are forced to take sides in a manner that’s explosive. It’s the historical context of this novel, the sense of time and place, that made this such an engrossing read for me.