Description

A SUNDAY TIMES BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

In a disturbingly familiar parallel world, a small population of tiny, semi-aquatic humans known as lambdas has quietly lived in the capital for decades. When a school bombing is claimed by an unknown faction of their community, everything changes.

Meet Cara Gray, anarchist-turned-surveillance officer, who is trialling an application that will render her life as a novel.

Experience a world of government agents made of slime mould protein, dubious quantum computers, and sentient toothbrushes.

Publisher Review

“An accomplished, thought-provoking novel that is also darkly humorous.” * The Sunday Times * “Ever wish George Saunders tried his hand at crime fiction? Try David Musgrave’s imaginative debut novel, Lambda.” * Wired – A Summer 2022 Best Read * “Absolutely brilliant. It’s like William Gibson and JG Ballard made a baby – a weird semi-aquatic baby. A one-off, properly uncategorizable.” * Darragh McManus (Shiver the Whole Night Through) * “Rife with suspense, intrigue and menace, the story is an allegory for current events that parallels books like Orwell’s 1984 and Animal Farm.” * Reading the West * “Musgrave uses his tale to provide some affecting commentary on current political, emotional and health crises, as well as the future of technology.” * Buzz Magazine * “Literary SF at its best.” * The Guardian * “A neat idea… a scathing critique of the attitude towards migrants in Brexit Britain.” * The Financial Times * “Ceaselessly inventive yet grounded in a world we recognise – an eloquent, insightful and funny demonstration the future is now. And always will be.” * Richard Beard (The Day That Went Missing) * “A science fiction novel not quite like any other I’ve read.” * Ananyo Bhattacharya (The Man from the Future) * “Part cyber-thriller, part sci-fi parable, part glorious social satire.” * Tim Baker (Fever City) * “Lambda harks back to the utopian preoccupations of early pioneers of the genre like Orwell or Zamiatin, leavening its tale with wry humour and quiet social commentary and satire that scores and hits the target with systematic ferocity… Most definitely a novel of ideas, where the plot insidiously burrows into the reader’s mind to unsettling effect. A fascinating curiosity and well worth the detour.” * Maxim Jakubowski, CrimeTime *