Blow it up, start over

Will McIntosh (pictured) knows how to write an apocalypse, but the one he conjures up in Faller: A Novel (Tor Books, $25.99) is incredibly innovative.

Day One: The Earth was torn into chunks, all of which retained atmosphere, and which were inhabited by people who simultaneously forgot their lives and lost the ability to read. Blank slates, if you will, but still with personalities and spoken language. Our hero, a man who calls himself Clue, is trying to figure out what happened on Day One, but his only clues are the contents of his pockets.

He knows if he can just put these objects together—a photo, a scribbled-on wrapper, a toy—he’ll understand. Equal parts thought experiment, thriller, and speculative fiction—or maybe fable—McIntosh has got a story that’s truly original.