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| A book about our relationship with books |
If Robin Sloan had asked me to write a person-quoted-on-cover blurb for "Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore" I'd probably have sent in something like:
"A highly enjoyable typesetting mystery romp!" —Paul Hively
No hard feelings for going with George Saunders's blurb instead.
Upon reflection, I think what the novel suggests about our relationship with books and technology is every bit as interesting as its plot. A bookstore that stays in business without customers; secret codes; missing artifacts; strange cultists; these may be fun, but anxiety over technology's role in transforming society is timely.
