You open your eyes for what you know is not the first time and you remember nothing. You find out that a catastrophic event known as the Kollaps has destroyed life as we know it. Someone claiming to be your friend tells you that you're needed. Something crucial has been stolen—but under no circumstances can you know what or why. You've got to get it back or something bad is going to happen. And you've got to get it back fast, so they can freeze you again before your own time runs out. Paralyzed from the waist down, you're being carried around on the backs of two men who don't seem anything like you at all. They inject you regularly and tell you it's for your own good, to stop the disease, or else they must cut directly into your spine. Welcome to the life of Josef Horkai.
Critically acclaimed author and winner of the O. Henry Prize, Brian Evenson turns his literary eye to a post-apocalyptic earth in this dazzling science fiction novel.
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"Creepy and strange-funny, and also quite sad. Evenson hits many of his familiar notes--corroded Western Mormon-tinged landscape, bizarre brothers/twins/partners, cults, borderline absurdist dialogue--and it all works wonderfully. I adored the "mules." I love a good short nutty novel, and this is it."
— Caleb (5 out of 5 stars)
“Grim and unrelenting, this compelling book will darken the mood of even the most lighthearted readers as Evenson drives it toward an inevitable but still surprising ending.”
— Publishers Weekly" It's great to see Evenson work within (and stretch) the boundaries of the genre. Unlike his baroque masterpiece _Dark Property_, which explores similar terrain, _Immobility_ is, appropriately, an exercise in (stylistic) restraint. Minimal locomotion:minimalist locution. "
— Keith, 2/3/2014" A fascinating and also frustrating book by an author who builds atmosphere and worlds as well as any modern sci-fi author I've read. One of the most disappointingly cliched endings to a good book I've read in ages. "
— Gabe, 1/19/2014" This is a small book for the price, and so I would recommend that you wait until it comes out in paper. This feels like it could be a movie in the making. An author to watch. "
— Jan, 1/15/2014" This book is sticking with me. "
— Jason, 12/31/2013" This book held my interest through-out and kept me guessing. However it did leave me with unanswered questions. It could have explained more about the Kollasp and the details of events following. Creative take on the end-of-the-world scenario that has been trendy lately. "
— Elyse, 12/30/2013" This was a good quick sci-fi read. I didn't get into it for the first hundred pages, but it picked up quickly after that. Enjoyable. "
— Beth, 12/28/2013" Review to be published in April issue of RTBOOKREVIEWS "
— Victoria, 12/26/2013" Really interesting book about the future after the "Kollaps" when humanity has become separated into two distinct species, those who mutated and can survive outside and those who die when exposed to the outside. Very character driven, really great read. I think I read this in an afternoon. "
— Lisa, 7/6/2013" Not really detailed enough to be immersive science fiction. It felt like a stretched short story and even at its relatively short length, it felt like a long way to go for a what's-the-point-of-anything FU to the reader. Pass. "
— Hat, 7/3/2013" I liked the disorientation it begins with. The book is daring by today's genre/commercial standards. The relentless bleakness combined with the odd but realistic touches make this an accessible but cerebral literary exercise. For me the only thing missing is a strong literary prose style. "
— Chuck, 5/14/2013" A must read. A real kick in the neurons. "
— Christopher, 9/15/2012" A thoroughly enjoyable book. I'm a fan of Post Apoc fiction and this book didn't disappoint. I loved the "Mules" a great concept. Nice twists and turns to the story. would like to read Mir stories in this world. "
— George, 7/22/2012" I loved the sparse style of this book, the narrator has an unreliable memory, and struggles to put together pieces of his past. I have been on a post-apocalypse kick lately, and this book certainly fit the bill, it was short, but packed. All in all a tight, quick read. "
— Nicholas, 7/13/2012" Very odd little book. I normally enjoy dystopian novels and definitely like weird things, but this seemed to have no point. It also had a very cliched ending. "
— Erin, 6/5/2012" Twitter review: Brian Evenson's Immobility is bleak but compelling, with echoes of Canticle for Leibowitz, I Am Legend, & The Road. (More may come later.) "
— Christy, 4/1/2012Brian Evenson has written several works of fiction, including The Wavering Knife, for which he was awarded IHG Award for best story collection, and The Open Curtain, an Edgar Award finalist. His novel Last Days won the ALA award for Best Horror Novel of 2009 and was on Time Out New York’s list of top books of 2009. Evenson is the director of Brown University’s Literary Arts Program and is the recipient of an O. Henry Prize and an NEA fellowship. He has also written Dead Space novels under the name B. K. Evenson.
Mauro Hantman has been a resident actor at Trinity Repertory Company in Providence, Rhode Island, where he has appeared in over fifty productions since 1999. He's the artistic director of the Providence Improv Fest and a founding member of Improv Jones, an improv troupe formed in 1992.