Little Eyes echoes the urgent, clarified style of Schweblin’s earlier works, helped by the return of Megan McDowell as translator. And all you need is $279 and an internet connection.
It comes in different forms: bird, bear, rabbit, dragon and its uses are many: household pet, silent companion, information thief, pervert (depending, of course, on who that user is). But think less androids and more electric sheep: Schweblin’s invention is the “kentuki,” a remote-controlled animal with wheels for feet and cameras for eyes, controlled by a random and anonymous user.
In traditional sci-fi fashion, Little Eyes centers on a technological invention and its resounding effects throughout society. But in the age of social media, cybercrime, and mass surveillance, the latest book from Argentine writer Samanta Schweblin feels far too believable, if not eerily familiar, to be called “futuristic” or “speculative” (or even, to an extent, fictional). IF LITTLE EYES had been written fifteen years ago, it would have been a work of fiercely imaginative science fiction. This is our present and we’re living it – we just don’t know it yet.New York. But beneath the cuddly exterior, kentukis conceal a truth that is unsettlingly familiar and exhilaratingly real. Samanta Schweblin's wildly imaginative new novel pulls us into a dark and complex world of unexpected love, playful encounters and marvellous adventures. Anonymous and untraceable, these seemingly cute cuddly toys reveal the beauty of connection between far-flung souls – but they also expose the ugly truth of our interconnected society. They've infiltrated apartments in Hong Kong, shops in Vancouver, the streets of Sierra Leone, town squares of Oaxaca, schools in Tel Aviv, bedrooms in Indiana. These are kentukis, and they are in your home. World Literature Today's 75 Notable Translations of 2020 * Ebook Travel Guides Best 5 Books of 2020 * A New York Times Notable Book of 2020
A visionary novel about our interconnected world, about the collision of horror and humanity, from the Man Booker-shortlisted master of the spine-tingling taleĪ Guardian & Observer Best Fiction Book of 2020 * A Sunday Times Best Science Fiction Book of the Year * The Times Best Science Fiction Books of the Year * NPR Best Books of the Year
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