WHAT MAKES IT GREAT: I was introduced to it as "a science fiction book for people who don't like science fiction." It is science fiction or fantasy - the premise is that doors start opening up connecting places all around earth - but it doesn't read like it. The doors are simply there, and the characters use them, and the book is really about two people, Nadia and Saeed, as they flee their home city and live as refugees in various countries. It discusses some of the issues surrounding refugees, all scaled up, yet it feels straightforward in the novel. It's a lovely book with lovely prose, and there are manyreviews which discuss it better than I ever could.
I think there's interesting potential for fanfiction because there's a lot of time that could be filled in with the main characters, and a lot of minor characters mentioned briefly who are all living their own lives and exploring the world. Easy movement between countries is a scenario with a lot of tensions and possibilities to explore. The book has received a lot of praise and I was surprised I didn't find any fannish works about it.
Content warnings: There's a war, a refugee crisis, and references to drugs and sex. I'm going to go through the book again and update here if I see anything else.
Exit West
It's a 230 page novel from 2017.
WHAT MAKES IT GREAT: I was introduced to it as "a science fiction book for people who don't like science fiction." It is science fiction or fantasy - the premise is that doors start opening up connecting places all around earth - but it doesn't read like it. The doors are simply there, and the characters use them, and the book is really about two people, Nadia and Saeed, as they flee their home city and live as refugees in various countries. It discusses some of the issues surrounding refugees, all scaled up, yet it feels straightforward in the novel. It's a lovely book with lovely prose, and there are many reviews which discuss it better than I ever could.
I think there's interesting potential for fanfiction because there's a lot of time that could be filled in with the main characters, and a lot of minor characters mentioned briefly who are all living their own lives and exploring the world. Easy movement between countries is a scenario with a lot of tensions and possibilities to explore. The book has received a lot of praise and I was surprised I didn't find any fannish works about it.
Content warnings: There's a war, a refugee crisis, and references to drugs and sex. I'm going to go through the book again and update here if I see anything else.