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Guest Post: People Out of Sync, by Alex White (Every Mountain Made Low)
Alex White’s debut novel, Every Mountain Made Low (out now from Solaris) is about Loxley Fiddleback, a woman whose entire life has been defined by her peculiar talent—and the crippling anxiety that comes along with it. Below, Alex joins us to talk about some of the other “misfit” characters (real and imagined) that inspired him on the road to publication.
As a creative person, I’ve never felt completely synchronized with the expectations of others. It always feels as though I’m moving a bit too slow or a bit too fast. I have trouble talking at parties, but I open right up in the boardroom. Maybe that’s because I’m more comfortable being disingenuous than being myself; I’ll leave that for you to decide. I’m from the American Deep South, where cultural mores are ingrained and unbreakable, but I don’t participate in any of them, save for the politeness. I don’t have religion or football, so I’m a bad Southerner. I’ve been to every DragonCon since 2009, but I missed several superhero movies in the theater, so I’m a bad nerd.
I love stories about highly-intelligent outliers. Characters who have their own complex priorities in restrictive and dangerous societies fascinate me. Here I have a list of books about people who live outside their own societies, portrayed subtly and sympathetically.
The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism
Naoki Higashida
Paperback
$20.00
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The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism, by Naoki Higashida
While this is a fiction blog post about a fiction book, I highly recommend this non-fiction memoir. Naoki Higashida was unable to verbalize because of his autism, and for many years remained silent. Because of breakthrough techniques, he is now able to communicate his thoughts and feelings, giving us powerful insight into his autistic mind. Higashida is charming and eloquent, and will change the way you interact with autistic people.
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The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon
Another book starring an autistic main character, Curious Incident follows the story of Christopher as he works to solve the murder of his neighbor’s dog. Christopher’s perspective is powerful and addictive, fascinating and lovable. While his motivations are perfectly reasonable, those around him often fail to grasp his intentions, resulting in the most emotional book about a dead dog I’ve ever read.
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The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood
Frighteningly prescient at times, this dystopian novel details a theocratic, misogynistic society where women are deprived of all rights to liberty and body. The main character, Offred, is a handmaid, and her duty is to supply children to a military officer. To rebel in even the most minor way could bring exile or death. So of course, Offred must be plunged into a web of intrigue and danger. Atwood’s book is as relevant today as the day it was released in 1986.
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Battle Angel Alita, by Yukito Kishiro
While it may go a bit off the rails at times, this (oft-depressing) manga was a big part of my formative high school years. Alita is an amnesiac cyborg living in the Scrapyard, a run-down waste beneath the utopian city of Tiphares. Alita’s only memory is a legendary martial art, and she becomes a bounty hunter, living outside the society she protects. What struck me about the series is the sympathy with which it treats its damaged villains, and the desperation of all citizens inside the Scrapyard.
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City of Thieves, by David Benioff
This book takes place during the WWII Siege of Leningrad, a setting just as frightening as any dystopian sci-fi novel. Lev, the son of an executed political prisoner, is arrested for looting the body of a downed Luftwaffe pilot. He is given a choice, face a firing squad or do a favor for the head of the Soviet secret police. The favor: find a dozen eggs for a wedding cake in the starved-out WWII wasteland. Lev teams with Kolya, an army deserter, and the two set out on their secret mission behind the scenes of a country at war.