Author: Blake Crouch
Genre: Science fiction, thriller
Published on: June 11, 2019 by Ballantine Books
“Gloriously twisting . . . a heady campfire tale of a novel.”—The New York Times Book Review
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Time • NPR • BookRiot
Reality is broken.
At first, it looks like a disease. An epidemic that spreads through no known means, driving its victims mad with memories of a life they never lived. But the force that’s sweeping the world is no pathogen. It’s just the first shock wave, unleashed by a stunning discovery—and what’s in jeopardy is not our minds but the very fabric of time itself.
In New York City, Detective Barry Sutton is closing in on the truth—and in a remote laboratory, neuroscientist Helena Smith is unaware that she alone holds the key to this mystery . . . and the tools for fighting back.
Together, Barry and Helena will have to confront their enemy—before they, and the world, are trapped in a loop of ever-growing chaos.
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Time • NPR • BookRiot
Reality is broken.
At first, it looks like a disease. An epidemic that spreads through no known means, driving its victims mad with memories of a life they never lived. But the force that’s sweeping the world is no pathogen. It’s just the first shock wave, unleashed by a stunning discovery—and what’s in jeopardy is not our minds but the very fabric of time itself.
In New York City, Detective Barry Sutton is closing in on the truth—and in a remote laboratory, neuroscientist Helena Smith is unaware that she alone holds the key to this mystery . . . and the tools for fighting back.
Together, Barry and Helena will have to confront their enemy—before they, and the world, are trapped in a loop of ever-growing chaos.
Ever read a novel that turned out to be way deeper and more layered than the premise suggested? Recursion is a prime example. It’s a hard sci-fi novel mainly set in present-time New York City (as of 2019). The main characters are Barry Sutton and Helena Smith. Barry is a seasoned NYPD detective. He’s divorced and had a daughter who died in a tragic hit-and-run years ago. Helena is a gifted neuroscientist searching for a way to reverse or stop the effects of diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Barry and Helena don’t know each other at first. They even live on opposite corners of the U.S. The story begins with Barry failing to prevent a suicide. A woman jumped from a building after being unable to endure FMS any longer. False Memory Syndrome is a mysterious affliction that’s emerged recently. Sufferers claim to have vivid memories of a life that never happened. Barry is intrigued after his encounter with the woman. He decides to get to the bottom of what FMS is and where it came from.
In the year 2007, a man approaches Helena with an offer she can’t refuse. Marcus Slade, a tech magnate, found out that Helena wants to build a memory-capture device. All that’s stopping her are lack of funds and the not-yet-advanced-enough technology. Marcus offers Helena unlimited funding and a team of some of the best scientists in the world. The catch is that they must all work in secret out of a concealed lab in the Pacific. It doesn’t take much to convince Helena to accept Slade’s offer. She has a personal interest in making her memory device a reality.
Back in 2019, Barry’s investigation leads him to a man who may know what FMS really is. Before Barry can mull over the information, someone abducts him. Barry wakes up to find himself in the clutches of a strange man. The guy makes Barry an even stranger request. He has no choice but to go along with it. The night ends with an extraordinary occurrence. It takes Barry a while to wrap his head around what happened. What’s sure is that his life has changed completely.
Helena makes rapid breakthroughs in the research lab. Slade’s immense wealth allows him to get whatever the team needs, including quantum processors. As the memory-capture project advances, Slade’s true intentions are slowly revealed. When Helena learns what Slade had been after, she’s stunned. Helena is able to run away and go into hiding. She’s just opened a box that will be a pain to close, though. Helena must join forces with Barry to stop what she’s inadvertently started. As cliché as it sounds, the fate of the world is at stake.
If I’d started this book with high expectations, they wouldn’t have been high enough. This novel blew my mind, and I don’t say it lightly. Recursion was full of thrills, amazing science, and unexpected turns. And the author doesn’t shy away from punishing his protagonists. Everything that can go wrong does go wrong, at one point horribly so. I don’t want to spoil this riveting book, so I won’t say more. I did notice one thing, though. I’ve read hundreds of novels by now and this is the first one I got that’s written in third-person present-tense POV. Most books are written in third-person past-tense. Not sure if this is a Blake Crouch habit, but it didn‘t detract from the story or throw me off. Recursion is among the best sci-fi novels I’ve ever read. It was phenomenal.
Barry and Helena don’t know each other at first. They even live on opposite corners of the U.S. The story begins with Barry failing to prevent a suicide. A woman jumped from a building after being unable to endure FMS any longer. False Memory Syndrome is a mysterious affliction that’s emerged recently. Sufferers claim to have vivid memories of a life that never happened. Barry is intrigued after his encounter with the woman. He decides to get to the bottom of what FMS is and where it came from.
In the year 2007, a man approaches Helena with an offer she can’t refuse. Marcus Slade, a tech magnate, found out that Helena wants to build a memory-capture device. All that’s stopping her are lack of funds and the not-yet-advanced-enough technology. Marcus offers Helena unlimited funding and a team of some of the best scientists in the world. The catch is that they must all work in secret out of a concealed lab in the Pacific. It doesn’t take much to convince Helena to accept Slade’s offer. She has a personal interest in making her memory device a reality.
Back in 2019, Barry’s investigation leads him to a man who may know what FMS really is. Before Barry can mull over the information, someone abducts him. Barry wakes up to find himself in the clutches of a strange man. The guy makes Barry an even stranger request. He has no choice but to go along with it. The night ends with an extraordinary occurrence. It takes Barry a while to wrap his head around what happened. What’s sure is that his life has changed completely.
Helena makes rapid breakthroughs in the research lab. Slade’s immense wealth allows him to get whatever the team needs, including quantum processors. As the memory-capture project advances, Slade’s true intentions are slowly revealed. When Helena learns what Slade had been after, she’s stunned. Helena is able to run away and go into hiding. She’s just opened a box that will be a pain to close, though. Helena must join forces with Barry to stop what she’s inadvertently started. As cliché as it sounds, the fate of the world is at stake.
If I’d started this book with high expectations, they wouldn’t have been high enough. This novel blew my mind, and I don’t say it lightly. Recursion was full of thrills, amazing science, and unexpected turns. And the author doesn’t shy away from punishing his protagonists. Everything that can go wrong does go wrong, at one point horribly so. I don’t want to spoil this riveting book, so I won’t say more. I did notice one thing, though. I’ve read hundreds of novels by now and this is the first one I got that’s written in third-person present-tense POV. Most books are written in third-person past-tense. Not sure if this is a Blake Crouch habit, but it didn‘t detract from the story or throw me off. Recursion is among the best sci-fi novels I’ve ever read. It was phenomenal.
My rating: ★★★★★
5 stars - Absolutely must-read. It's outstanding!!!
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