Anthropocene Rag

by Alex Irvine

In the future United States, our own history has faded into myth and traveling across the country means navigating wastelands and ever-changing landscapes.

The country teems with monsters and artificial intelligences try to unpack their own becoming by recreating myths and legends of their human creators. Prospector Ed, an emergent AI who wants to understand the people who made him, assembles a ragtag team to reach the mythical Monument City.

In this nanotech Western, Irvine infuses American mythmaking with terrifying questions about the future and who we will become.

• ISBN10: 125026927X
• ISBN13: 9781250269270
• Publish Date: 31 March 2020
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 15 September 2023
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: St Martin's Press
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 272
• Language: English

Reviews

[shannonmiz]

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight

This was... bizarre, for lack of a better word. That isn't a bad thing! It's just how it is. As a whole, there were a lot of things I enjoyed about this one, and a few things that left me wanting more (or wanting to understand more, perhaps). So let's break them down!

The Stuff I Liked:

• In is unarguably unique. I mean, can I even explain this? It is quite simply like nothing else I have ever read. And for the most part, that is a good thing! I guarantee you too will find this a one of a kind.



• So much cool historical stuff! Ever wanted to ride on a ship with Mark Twain, or get car advice from Henry Ford? Good news for you, then! This is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of fascinating historical markers that pop up all throughout the book. They are, in essence, to guide our characters along their journey. And they make for some interesting reading, no question.



• It's a journey/adventure, and I love those! It's also a personal journey, which will be my next point, but what I am talking about here is a physical trek. I flat out adore when characters have to traverse great distances, because there's something so... survivalist about it, I suppose. And what better way to both have adventure and find out what our characters are made of! Plus, we get to see so many different locals in "Boomerica", so that's extra fun.



• Yes, the characters have journeys too! They're all obviously picked to go to this mythical place for a reason, and as you can imagine, they're going to unpack their baggage along the way.

The Stuff I Didn't:

• There were parts that I was just plain lost during. The Boom is... a little confusing? I mean, I started to get the general gist that things in this new world were... different, and that the Boom basically chooses what happens in life now, who lives and who dies, and I guess which historical characters will greet you in which cities. It's cool, but I do wish I knew a bit more of the inner workings. I think I was supposed to like, not know, like no one in the book does, but look, I am apparently too needy for that.



• There are a lot of characters to keep straight. I even understood having several points of view, since it allowed us to see more of the country, more of the Boom, and more characters' stories. But at a certain point I started to get a bit overwhelmed, and wished the author had stuck with three or four characters' perspectives, especially in a shorter book.



• I guess I just plain wanted more answers. The book ends on a rather vague note, and a lot of the questions I had about the world in general were left unanswered. To be fair, it's entirely possible that this is just a "me" problem, and that readers who aren't as ridiculous in their need for answers will be able to enjoy the ride itself without feeling frustrated.

Bottom Line: Absolutely one of the most unique stories I have ever encountered, it's wildly imaginative, yet lacks some of the clarity I had hoped for by the end.