As I was shelving books at work today, I came across David Eagleman’s new novel, Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives. The endorsement on the front is from Philip Pullman, of Golden Compass fame; on the back, Brian Greene, well known science writer, weighs in. The book is tiny, about the size of a postcard and just over 100 pages long. I was intrigued.
The novel is made up of short vignettes, each not more than three pages long, with names like “Adhesion” and “Circle of Friends.” Each tells of an afterlife. In one, you meet your maker and can ask him one question. In another, God is so small he isn’t even aware you exist. One after another, these brief snippets make you think.
Very intriguing. I might have to read the whole thing.
I love this book! Thought-provoking, tightly-written, humorous and poignant — all in all, a numinous & unique read. I bought a little stack of them and have been handing them out as birthday gifts. Glad to see you stumbled on Sum too!
-Tina