Finch (novel)
Encyclopedia
Finch is Jeff VanderMeer
's third novel set in the Ambergris universe. Written in the noir style of detective novels, it stands alone, while referencing characters and events from the earlier City of Saints and Madmen
and Shriek: An Afterword
.
The title character, reluctant detective John Finch, is tasked with investigating a double-murder, one victim a human and the second a gray cap.
and says that "Finch plays with the conventions of the noir thriller, espionage and fantasy genres, mixing all three to produce something unique and unsettling." He does suggest that the "fractured, fragmented prose style ... is likely to alienate as many readers as it charms" but concludes that the book is "a compelling experience, a fungalpunk nightmare pullulating with dark, phantasmagorical transformations: it works equally as a stylish detective story, a perverse example of the New Weird
fantasy subgenre, and an effective metaphor for the dehumanising effects of occupying forces and totalitarian regimes."
for Best Novel
.
Jeff VanderMeer
Jeffrey Scott VanderMeer is an American writer, editor and publisher.He is best known for his contributions to the New Weird and his stories about the city of Ambergris, in books like City of Saints and Madmen.-Biography:...
's third novel set in the Ambergris universe. Written in the noir style of detective novels, it stands alone, while referencing characters and events from the earlier City of Saints and Madmen
City of Saints and Madmen
City of Saints and Madmen: The Book of Ambergris is the title of a collection of fantasy short stories by American writer Jeff VanderMeer, set in the fictional metropolis of Ambergris...
and Shriek: An Afterword
Shriek: An Afterword
Shriek: An Afterword is a 2006 novel by Jeff VanderMeer. Shriek is set in the fictional city of Ambergris, a recurring setting in VanderMeer's work...
.
Plot
At the time of Finch, Ambergris is ruled by the gray caps, a non-human, "spore-based" species. Their "Rising" followed a destructive civil war between rival human factions.The title character, reluctant detective John Finch, is tasked with investigating a double-murder, one victim a human and the second a gray cap.
Reception
Eric Brown reviewed the book for The GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
and says that "Finch plays with the conventions of the noir thriller, espionage and fantasy genres, mixing all three to produce something unique and unsettling." He does suggest that the "fractured, fragmented prose style ... is likely to alienate as many readers as it charms" but concludes that the book is "a compelling experience, a fungalpunk nightmare pullulating with dark, phantasmagorical transformations: it works equally as a stylish detective story, a perverse example of the New Weird
New Weird
The New Weird is a literary genre that began in the 1990s and developed in a series of novels and stories published from 2001 to 2005. The writers involved are mostly novelists who are considered to be parts of the horror and/or speculative fiction genres but who often cross genre boundaries...
fantasy subgenre, and an effective metaphor for the dehumanising effects of occupying forces and totalitarian regimes."
Awards and honors
The novel was a nominee for the 2010 World Fantasy AwardWorld Fantasy Award
The World Fantasy Awards are annual, international awards given to authors and artists who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the field of fantasy...
for Best Novel
World Fantasy Award for Best Novel
This World Fantasy Award is given to the fantasy novel or novels voted best by a panel of judges, and presented each year at the World Fantasy Convention.-1975:...
.
EXternal links
- Finch at Google Books