Terrace Story, Hilary Leichter

I actually read this almost two months ago, and was so impressed with it that I wanted to take the time to write a more thoughtful and extensive post about it — and look where that got me. Back to the ol’ slap-dash it is! Just kidding. Sort of.

I felt a renewed sense of intention, though, because I haven’t seen this on many Best Of lists, and I think it should be, and also, it would make for a great gift. It’s wonderfully strange and inventive — one of those books that people will insist isn’t actually sci-fi, because they don’t generally like sci-fi but they do love this (people might just be me here, but I think there are others like me…). But that’s also a way of saying that while it does bend reality in various ways, and has some sections that involve life on other planets, it’s not primarily focused on world-building, but on exploring relationships between people, and the emotional landscapes of those slightly shifted realities. There’s a very cool way that it explores the relationship between the literal and the figurative, especially in relation to space. I’m still thinking about it.

It’s also really skillfully plotted. Though it might seem to be more like a linked collection of stories than a novel, they become unified and interconnected as you continue reading and start to recognize how the different pieces depend on each other for meaning. Much like her previous novel, it’s hard to describe how deliciously startling this book is, while also being quite moving. I really recommend it.