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Above / Below
A city has fallen from the sky.
In the wreckage, two men – Devian Lell, a window cleaner in the floating cities of Loft, and Eli Kurran, a security guard in one of the polluted, ground-based cities of Dirt – will find their lives changed.
Devian, who has done what few in the floating landscape have by stepping outside the sanctuary of his home, will be drawn into the politics of Loft, as he is recruited to be the assistant for Dirt’s political representative. On the ground, Kurran, still mourning the death of his wife, tries to remove himself from the violent politics of Dirt even as he is blackmailed into providing security for the diplomatic representative of Loft, a woman three times his age, and the oldest living person he has ever met.
A tale of two cities, the stories Above and Below make up two halves of another in the TPP Doubles series. Written by Stephanie Campisi and Ben Peek, designed to be self-contained and complete as individual narratives, the two parts can be read in either order, yet also form a single narrative that has been intricately woven and designed to create a single, novel length story. It is a work that suggests not a single way of reading, but rather two, with conflicting morals that will continue to test the reader’s certainty in who, in the cities of Loft and Dirt, is in the right.
In the wreckage, two men – Devian Lell, a window cleaner in the floating cities of Loft, and Eli Kurran, a security guard in one of the polluted, ground-based cities of Dirt – will find their lives changed.
Devian, who has done what few in the floating landscape have by stepping outside the sanctuary of his home, will be drawn into the politics of Loft, as he is recruited to be the assistant for Dirt’s political representative. On the ground, Kurran, still mourning the death of his wife, tries to remove himself from the violent politics of Dirt even as he is blackmailed into providing security for the diplomatic representative of Loft, a woman three times his age, and the oldest living person he has ever met.
A tale of two cities, the stories Above and Below make up two halves of another in the TPP Doubles series. Written by Stephanie Campisi and Ben Peek, designed to be self-contained and complete as individual narratives, the two parts can be read in either order, yet also form a single narrative that has been intricately woven and designed to create a single, novel length story. It is a work that suggests not a single way of reading, but rather two, with conflicting morals that will continue to test the reader’s certainty in who, in the cities of Loft and Dirt, is in the right.
- GenresScience FictionFiction
188 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
123 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Campisi
26 books6 followersStephanie Campisi is an Australian author living in the US. Her picture books to date include the Kirkus-starred Ugly Dumpling, Luis and Tabitha, Very Lulu, and Five Sisters. Quacks Like a Duck is her fifth book, and it combines two of her very favorite Aussie things: platypuses and pavlovas.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 19, 2011
So the book arrived today and I just thought I'd take a little peek...(PEEK, GEDDIT?)...now it's 1am and, well, if there's such a thing as a belch of appreciation after a satisfying read, consider this to be mine (belch? second breath?)
I read "Above" first and found the language gorgeous, the mileu one of depth and consistency, and the many levels of conflict skilfully intertwined. A couple of quiet, enjoyable character studies in a luxuriantly described world.
Bonus points for mentioning the Lieran archery team (archery!!).
Maybe minus a point for being a little too gorgeous at one specific point? (It's not you, Stephanie, it's me. Metaphors can easily confuse me in science fiction; a sentence like "jerking their heads in their clockwork avian way" leaves me just as puzzled about whether the birds are living or clockwork as Tolkien's balrog having "wings of fire" makes us wonder if they're real ones or just pretty special effects.)
Having savoured "Above," I quickly flipped to the other side.
Just like in "Siren Beat/Roadkill," the second novella, "Below" was the perfect contrast in every way. The plot pacy. The writing spare and merciless.
Maybe it's just because Lebanon's heart is being ripped apart again tonight, but Peek carried me into the wreckage of a fallen city and made me feel actual physical pain as I recognised the failings we share as humans.
So. Thanks for the snack. When's the sequel? :D
I read "Above" first and found the language gorgeous, the mileu one of depth and consistency, and the many levels of conflict skilfully intertwined. A couple of quiet, enjoyable character studies in a luxuriantly described world.
Bonus points for mentioning the Lieran archery team (archery!!).
Maybe minus a point for being a little too gorgeous at one specific point? (It's not you, Stephanie, it's me. Metaphors can easily confuse me in science fiction; a sentence like "jerking their heads in their clockwork avian way" leaves me just as puzzled about whether the birds are living or clockwork as Tolkien's balrog having "wings of fire" makes us wonder if they're real ones or just pretty special effects.)
Having savoured "Above," I quickly flipped to the other side.
Just like in "Siren Beat/Roadkill," the second novella, "Below" was the perfect contrast in every way. The plot pacy. The writing spare and merciless.
Maybe it's just because Lebanon's heart is being ripped apart again tonight, but Peek carried me into the wreckage of a fallen city and made me feel actual physical pain as I recognised the failings we share as humans.
So. Thanks for the snack. When's the sequel? :D
March 3, 2012
This is a book that is actually two short stories about the same world. Above is set in the floating city Loft, Below is set in the planet Dirt. Dirt is below many floating cities, with Loft the most prestigious. Dirt does the hazardous work of providing fuel, oil, coal for the floating cities and disposing of their garbage. The floating cities trade medicine and other supplies to Dirt. The citizens of Dirt have a maximum lifespan of 48 as long as they have an operation at age 12 that helps fight cancers and other diseases that are a consequence of the filth they live in. The floating cities mostly ignore those on Dirt-making it "taboo" to discuss anything related to Dirt. Those in Loft and the other cities live long and supposedly happy lives and seem to be major germaphobes. So basically this is a study of the rich with means to help the poor who are suffering as they die young working to provide things to the rich. But of course the rich don't. Much like the state of the world today, eh?
These two author's writing styles are similar enough you kind of forget that the book is split between them. And I see potential for this to be a very interesting series!! The ending was a little more open than I wanted it to be. It was also a little darker than I was expecting-certainly because of the subject matter. Overall though I did like this book.
These two author's writing styles are similar enough you kind of forget that the book is split between them. And I see potential for this to be a very interesting series!! The ending was a little more open than I wanted it to be. It was also a little darker than I was expecting-certainly because of the subject matter. Overall though I did like this book.
June 14, 2021
I really liked this. The plot about a sky city falling out of the sky really attracted my attention. This is then layered on with political intrigue and class conflict warfare. Good characters.
I found Campisi's prose a bit clunky, which I why I can't give it a full five stars.
I'm a really fussy reader so it's nice to find something that genuinely makes an impact on me.
I found Campisi's prose a bit clunky, which I why I can't give it a full five stars.
I'm a really fussy reader so it's nice to find something that genuinely makes an impact on me.
January 27, 2012
This review forms part of my contribution to the Australian Women Writers 2012 Reading Challenge.
Above/Below is made up of two novellas - Above by Stephanie Campisi and Below by Ben Peek. The stories are based in the same world - a world where the inhabitants have split themselves into two main groups. The inhabitants of Loft have built cities that take to the skies and float amongst the clouds, while the inhabitants of Dirt remain on the surface of the planet. It is a fairly blatant have/have not scenario - the citizens of the various city-states of Loft are relatively wealthy and healthy, using lopsided trade agreements to get what little they need from Dirt. By comparison, the citizens of Dirt live in poverty and sickness, with everyone suffering from what seems like radiation and other pollution related sickness.
The catalysing event of both stories is the literal fall of one of the smaller flying city-states (Adur). Above is set in another of the flying city-states Liera, and is told from the point of view of Devian Lell (a "cleaner" who works outside the city cleaning it of pollutants - a very low status job with a high possibility of sickness - and former dissident who has a now waning passion for finding out more about Dirt). He is reluctantly assigned to Dhormi, an ambassador from Dirt come to discuss the ramifications of the fall of the city of Adur.
Very like the Upper Decks in Worldshaker by Richard Harland, the world of Loft was painted in a very unsympathetic manner. The vast bulk of the citizenry exploit Dirt for raw resources without much thought to the consequences. Ms Campisi chooses to tell the story from a very low status individual who already has significant doubts about the society he lives in. As such, while some of the descriptive imagery is beautifully rendered, you don't really get to see how the bulk of Loftian society lives.
Devian is buffeted by events, as a result I found the Above storyline to be a little passive. The prose was excellent, the imagery vivid, the protagonist well developed and described - I just found myself not really caring as much as I wanted to about the outcome of the plot.
Below is set in Dirt and is told from the perspective of Eli Kurran, a security officer in Dirt assigned to the diplomat who visits Dirt in the aftermath of Adur crashing to the surface. Kurran has recently lost his wife to cancer and is reluctantly recalled to duty for this mission.
Inhabitants of Dirt are exposed to radiation and other pollutants from the womb, and as a result have a very limited lifespan. To extend it, they have "purifiers" surgically embedded around their twelfth birthday. These have the appearance of metal spikes sticking out of the body, which expel toxins from the bloodstream and dramatically life expectancy (from an average of 22 to 48 - still not great!). This one feature stuck with me and created a strong visual image of the citizens of Dirt. Due to this and the general setting, Below had a much more dystopian feel than Above.
I felt a much stronger connection with Kurran than with Devian. Kurran, while still buffeted by events, seemed to take some measure of control over them. The story seemed a little more strongly plot driven than Above, perhaps with slightly less background and character development. The action scenes were well written, and while both novellas did not resolve all of the overarching plot elements I did get more of a sense of closure from Below.
I read the eBook version of the book. In the original print version, the books are printed using the "tete-beche" format (like some of the old Ace Double books released in the US). Theoretically it doesn't matter which order you read the novellas in. Of course, having picked one order you can never really go back and try the other way around in the same way, but I think that reading Above then Below is probably the best. The understanding of the world and the relationship between Loft and Dirt you gain in Above makes the Below story more impacting. I'm not sure that it would make as much difference the other way around.
So, in summary both excellent novellas. If you like character development better than I suspect you'll prefer Above. If plot is more your thing, then I suspect you'll drift towards Below. But either way, the combination makes for a very satisfying read.
I also reviewed this book on my website.
Above/Below is made up of two novellas - Above by Stephanie Campisi and Below by Ben Peek. The stories are based in the same world - a world where the inhabitants have split themselves into two main groups. The inhabitants of Loft have built cities that take to the skies and float amongst the clouds, while the inhabitants of Dirt remain on the surface of the planet. It is a fairly blatant have/have not scenario - the citizens of the various city-states of Loft are relatively wealthy and healthy, using lopsided trade agreements to get what little they need from Dirt. By comparison, the citizens of Dirt live in poverty and sickness, with everyone suffering from what seems like radiation and other pollution related sickness.
The catalysing event of both stories is the literal fall of one of the smaller flying city-states (Adur). Above is set in another of the flying city-states Liera, and is told from the point of view of Devian Lell (a "cleaner" who works outside the city cleaning it of pollutants - a very low status job with a high possibility of sickness - and former dissident who has a now waning passion for finding out more about Dirt). He is reluctantly assigned to Dhormi, an ambassador from Dirt come to discuss the ramifications of the fall of the city of Adur.
Very like the Upper Decks in Worldshaker by Richard Harland, the world of Loft was painted in a very unsympathetic manner. The vast bulk of the citizenry exploit Dirt for raw resources without much thought to the consequences. Ms Campisi chooses to tell the story from a very low status individual who already has significant doubts about the society he lives in. As such, while some of the descriptive imagery is beautifully rendered, you don't really get to see how the bulk of Loftian society lives.
Devian is buffeted by events, as a result I found the Above storyline to be a little passive. The prose was excellent, the imagery vivid, the protagonist well developed and described - I just found myself not really caring as much as I wanted to about the outcome of the plot.
Below is set in Dirt and is told from the perspective of Eli Kurran, a security officer in Dirt assigned to the diplomat who visits Dirt in the aftermath of Adur crashing to the surface. Kurran has recently lost his wife to cancer and is reluctantly recalled to duty for this mission.
Inhabitants of Dirt are exposed to radiation and other pollutants from the womb, and as a result have a very limited lifespan. To extend it, they have "purifiers" surgically embedded around their twelfth birthday. These have the appearance of metal spikes sticking out of the body, which expel toxins from the bloodstream and dramatically life expectancy (from an average of 22 to 48 - still not great!). This one feature stuck with me and created a strong visual image of the citizens of Dirt. Due to this and the general setting, Below had a much more dystopian feel than Above.
I felt a much stronger connection with Kurran than with Devian. Kurran, while still buffeted by events, seemed to take some measure of control over them. The story seemed a little more strongly plot driven than Above, perhaps with slightly less background and character development. The action scenes were well written, and while both novellas did not resolve all of the overarching plot elements I did get more of a sense of closure from Below.
I read the eBook version of the book. In the original print version, the books are printed using the "tete-beche" format (like some of the old Ace Double books released in the US). Theoretically it doesn't matter which order you read the novellas in. Of course, having picked one order you can never really go back and try the other way around in the same way, but I think that reading Above then Below is probably the best. The understanding of the world and the relationship between Loft and Dirt you gain in Above makes the Below story more impacting. I'm not sure that it would make as much difference the other way around.
So, in summary both excellent novellas. If you like character development better than I suspect you'll prefer Above. If plot is more your thing, then I suspect you'll drift towards Below. But either way, the combination makes for a very satisfying read.
I also reviewed this book on my website.
March 11, 2011
The first thing I noticed about this book was the cover. I was scrolling through the First Reads Giveaways (from which I received my copy) page and was attracted by the vibrant, crisp, contrasting colors of the cover. As I read the book I discovered that the cover reflects the two stories within it perfectly: they are vibrant, crisp, contrasting, and fascinating.
Above, the first book (or at least the on I read first) transported me into the Loftian world of clean floating cities, seemingly utopian, blooming with perfection and . Stephanie Campisi has crafted beautiful sentences that capture the etherealness, and the contrasting dark side, of the Loftian cities. She uses metaphors especially well. The story itself, apart from the words used to tell it, was one of the kind that don't explain themselves as you read them: the ones leave you with the enjoyable task of putting the pieces together to figure them out. Although the ending of the leaves you wondering about the future of the characters in the book, it's not a cliffhanger: it's a pleasant sort of imagine-what-happens-next kind of wondering. I definitely enjoyed this book.
Below, Above's opposite, tells the story of Dirt, earth as it exists in this union of books. Just like Campisi does in Above, Ben Peek utilizes just the right words not only to describe the world of Dirt, but also to give the reader a sensation of Dirt, as if you can feel yourself being choked by the pervasive pollution everywhere. Peek's writing style is, appropriately, not as decoratively metaphorical and lush as Campisi's and fits perfectly with the content of the story. Dirt is the opposite of Loft in almost every way; the exception to this rule being the ending of Below being the same sort of imagine-what-happens-next type as Above.
I certainly loved these two books. They provided the perfect afternoon escape into two perfectly contrasting worlds. And, I must say, I love the layout of the book just as much as the story: it was a stroke of brilliance on the part of whoever designed the cover and layout to put the books upside down relative to each other.
Above, the first book (or at least the on I read first) transported me into the Loftian world of clean floating cities, seemingly utopian, blooming with perfection and . Stephanie Campisi has crafted beautiful sentences that capture the etherealness, and the contrasting dark side, of the Loftian cities. She uses metaphors especially well. The story itself, apart from the words used to tell it, was one of the kind that don't explain themselves as you read them: the ones leave you with the enjoyable task of putting the pieces together to figure them out. Although the ending of the leaves you wondering about the future of the characters in the book, it's not a cliffhanger: it's a pleasant sort of imagine-what-happens-next kind of wondering. I definitely enjoyed this book.
Below, Above's opposite, tells the story of Dirt, earth as it exists in this union of books. Just like Campisi does in Above, Ben Peek utilizes just the right words not only to describe the world of Dirt, but also to give the reader a sensation of Dirt, as if you can feel yourself being choked by the pervasive pollution everywhere. Peek's writing style is, appropriately, not as decoratively metaphorical and lush as Campisi's and fits perfectly with the content of the story. Dirt is the opposite of Loft in almost every way; the exception to this rule being the ending of Below being the same sort of imagine-what-happens-next type as Above.
I certainly loved these two books. They provided the perfect afternoon escape into two perfectly contrasting worlds. And, I must say, I love the layout of the book just as much as the story: it was a stroke of brilliance on the part of whoever designed the cover and layout to put the books upside down relative to each other.
January 26, 2012
I really liked this book (which is actually 2 novellas by 2 authors) and would love to see more of the world in the book...I have so many questions. I could not find this in the kindle store but the publisher sells it direct & it was pretty easy to figure out the download. I read Above first but you can download below/above where you can read it last. I think you would understand it better with Above first.
I read this right at the same time as I heard "Mr Daisey & the Apple Factory" from This American Life, which seemed so appropriate. There is no balance of power and the poorer people below are sacrificing their bodies and life span for the well being of those above. They have no power to change it either. As depressing as it could have felt, I spent the time fascinated with the world the authors built. There is no real conclusion to the "end" of both novellas which would usually drive me crazy, somehow I wasn't bothered with this book. I still want more, but they ended it "right".
I read this right at the same time as I heard "Mr Daisey & the Apple Factory" from This American Life, which seemed so appropriate. There is no balance of power and the poorer people below are sacrificing their bodies and life span for the well being of those above. They have no power to change it either. As depressing as it could have felt, I spent the time fascinated with the world the authors built. There is no real conclusion to the "end" of both novellas which would usually drive me crazy, somehow I wasn't bothered with this book. I still want more, but they ended it "right".
November 25, 2014
I'm torn with this one. I love the idea - both the idea of having two authors each address an idea from two different perspectives, and the idea behind the story itself, that a slave nation, an underclass, lives shortened, poisoned lives to provide the energy to keep another nation alive and comfortable. That's pretty much how the world works and as usual it's more fun to read about it in spec fiction than in a non-fiction 1000-page hectoring diatribe.
But I struggled a bit with the execution, and particularly book one, 'Above'. The story was good, strong ideas, but you're going to want to REALLY love adverbs and adjectives to stay immersed in this piece. I kept getting thrown out by language I just found too descriptive.
But overall, definitely worth a read: it throws up all kinds of interesting things to think about
But I struggled a bit with the execution, and particularly book one, 'Above'. The story was good, strong ideas, but you're going to want to REALLY love adverbs and adjectives to stay immersed in this piece. I kept getting thrown out by language I just found too descriptive.
But overall, definitely worth a read: it throws up all kinds of interesting things to think about
February 26, 2015
I like the idea of the paired double, that tells you more about the first story when you read the second. Unfortunately, I'm not a fan of Peek's writing, and his part of the work did not improve this. Campisi's part is lyrical, beautiful, but as with Peek's, ultimately unsatisfying either as prose or a polemic.
What I will say about Peek - he has put his practice in writing/being an Angry Young Man to good use here, with a story that seems intent on milking that for all it is worth.
What I will say about Peek - he has put his practice in writing/being an Angry Young Man to good use here, with a story that seems intent on milking that for all it is worth.
April 4, 2012
For an in depth discussion of Above / Below, please listen to my podcast, The Writer and the Critic, episode 6.
January 31, 2014
Such a good read. Perfect for an afternoon.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews