The Many Selves of Katherine North - Softcover

Geen, Emma

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1408858452 ISBN 13: 9781408858455

Publisher: Bloomsbury Paperbacks, 2017

Synopsis

A mind-bending literary fantasy about identity and empathy in which readers see the world through animals' eyes.

When we first meet Kit, she's a fox.

Nineteen-year-old Kit works for the research department of Shen Corporation as a phenomenaut. She's been "jumping"--projecting her consciousness, through a neurological interface--into the bodies of lab-grown animals made for the purpose of research for seven years, which is longer than anyone else at ShenCorp, and longer than any of the scientists thought possible. She experiences a multitude of other lives--fighting and fleeing as predator and prey, as mammal, bird, and reptile--in the hope that her work will help humans better understand the other species living alongside them.

Her closest friend is Buckley, her Neuro--the computer engineer who guides a phenomenaut through consciousness projection. His is the voice, therefore, that's always in Kit's head and is the thread of continuity that connects her to the human world when she's an animal. But when ShenCorp's mission takes a more commercial--and ominous--turn, Kit is no longer sure of her safety. Propelling the reader into the bodies of the other creatures that share our world, The Many Selves of Katherine North takes place in the near future but shows us a dazzling world far, far from the realm of our experience.

About this title

About the Author

Emma Geen's fiction draws on her background in psychology and philosophy. She is studying for a Ph.D. in creative writing at Bath Spa University, where she won the 2012 Janklow & Nesbit Bath Spa Prize. This is her first novel. She lives in Somerset, England.

Review

"Startlingly fresh . . . Along with the protagonist I became a tiger, an eagle, a whale. I hunted, flew and swam in this extraordinary book which goes to the heart of what it means to be alive in a shared universe." - Jane Shemilt, author of THE DAUGHTER

"A work of intelligent, thought provoking, spine-chilling science fiction that will delight and terrify in equal measure . . . Exciting, horrifying and compelling." - Jack Wolf, author of THE TALE OF RAW HEAD & BLOODY BONES

"As Darwinists and shamans know, the species barrier is porous. But how does it feel to commute across it? In this exhilarating metaphysical white-knuckle ride Geen takes us into the other worlds that crouch, slink and bark around us. It’s an audacious tour de force that will leave you reeling with ontological vertigo." - Charles Foster, author of BEING A BEAST

"Kit is a fascinating protagonist, and the descriptions of the animal lives she "lives" are wonderfully detailed." - Library Journal

"A compulsively readable sci-fi thriller . . . fantastic . . . The Many Selves of Katherine North would be an accomplishment from any writer, but the fact that this book comes from a first-time novelist is simply astonishing. Emma Geen has built a vivid and wildly engaging world around an incredibly compelling protagonist, creating a piece of work that transcends genre. No qualifiers are needed; this is a great book, full stop." - The Maine Edge

"Compelling." - Psychology Today

About this edition

• Publisher: Bloomsbury Paperbacks
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 1408858452
• ISBN 13: 9781408858455
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 368