Black Bag

by Luke Kennard

An out-of-work actor accepts the role of a lifetime—sitting soundlessly in a lecture theater, zipped into a large leather bag—to aid a professor’s psychological experiment. What could possibly go wrong?

In Luke Kennard’s audacious new novel, a penniless and out-of-work actor picks up a job working for Dr. Blend, a university professor who is conducting a psychological experiment. How will Dr. Blend’s students react to someone zipped into an oversized bag, sitting at the back of the lecture hall over a series of Fall lectures? The role, eagerly accepted, soon has unexpected consequences. A professor of post-humanism develops research questions of her own—in particular, can you love someone secreted away inside a black bag?—and the actor’s childhood friend forms a vision for monetizing this new situation . . .

A warped campus novel, an investigation into the crisis of masculinity, and an off-kilter love story, Black Bag is a firework of a blazingly funny and profoundly humane.

Genres: Fiction

352 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication March 17, 2026

Reviews

[Stay Fetters · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The world disappointed them, so they disappointed the world."

There’s no sugarcoating this, so I won’t even try. The cover for this is one of the weirdest I have ever seen. We all know my fondness of weird, that meant that this was a no brainer for me. Weird it was but also disappointing.

I wasn’t sure how the author would take a simple idea and turn it into a full fledged novel, but here we are and the outcome wasn’t as exciting as I had hoped. Now, parts of this were absolutely ridiculous and enjoyable. While others were dull and stretched out. Plus that conclusion bored me. I almost given up on this a few times but there was something about this that kept me going. It was a car wreck and you couldn’t help but look at it.

My favorite character was Justine. She was totally wild and I loved her. You never knew what was going to come out of her mouth, plus she was a straight up freak and didn’t care who knew. She was perfect. I swear, her character was the only standout one.

‘Black Bag’ was an interesting tale but about two hundred pages too long. There were a lot of unnecessary situations happening and it just wasn’t interesting. Everything that took place around campus had me intrigued, other than that I wasn’t impressed. It was worth the read once but definitely not an instant classic.

[Hayden Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh god, I just adored this. I’d read a thousand more pages about Black Bag, then turn back to the beginning and read them all again.

[Lydia Hephzibah]

DNF @ 10%

Setting: UK
Rep: n/a

Sometimes I wish we could read samples on Netgalley as, unless you already know the author, a request is based only on a cover and a description. Based on those this sounded right up my street but I just can't bear the writing style and after 10% I realized I was just annoyed and getting more annoyed and if I push through, chances are I'll regret it.

[J. Joseph · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a rough one, because it has a message and in summary it sounds weird and right up my alley. However, I unfortunately found it rather dull and too long for what it gives back to the reader. This is based on a real psychology experiment, but it felt like either the idea needed to be a novella or that something of more substance needed to be in the prose. A lot of the scenes blended (ha, ironic given the researcher’s name) together and therefore felt repetitive.

I don’t want to only talk negatively, though! The examination of masculinity — specifically the crisis of masculinity — was biting. There were critiques of everything from new school “gamer bros” to old school “refined masculinity” and everything in between. It was full of deep questions about the human condition and how we relax into the comfortable regardless what we personally find comfortable and regardless whether we even wanted that to be “comforting”. I guess I just wish the book’s bones had been filled out differently. It’s not a bad idea, it’s just not executed for me as a reader.

[Chelsea Knowles]

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.*

Black Bag follows an actor who gets a job working for a university professor. The professor is conducting a psychological experiment so the actor will need to sit in the lecture theatre wearing a black bag with eyeholes cut out. The professor is doing the experiment to see how the students will react and whilst this is going on the actor meets another professor and has a relationship with her.

To be completely honest this wasn’t for me. I thought this would be good because of the strange premise but it just didn’t pay off for me. I didn’t understand this and none of it made sense to me. It just felt like a lot of words to say nothing. That said, I would recommend this for readers who like strange books and are willing to take a chance on a different kind of story.

[B.S. Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The question of what to do with my weekends now that I am gainfully employed as a black bag is a tricky one."

Kennard writes books that should be pretentious, but just aren't. Like this, which is like a version of Blind Date directed by Franz Kafka.

They're absurd, wickedly smart, full with ideas and symbolism to make you think - existing on the precarious line between overt preaching and layered, metaphorical prose to create the perfect balance of entertaining writing and social commentary.

His characters are always a strange pastiche of humanity, heightened and elaborate individuals that capture an aspect of life and hold it under a microscope to really dissect it. Take our narrator, holding us at a distance, their storytelling just formal enough to make us uncomfortable but personal enough to allow us to slowly see them develop from the archetype of the insufferable penniless artist into a slightly less insufferable nuanced person with a new definition of the self. From their quiet existence in lectures, to a very strange, sexually charged potential romance - to their out of bag life, each page moves us forward and brings something that makes it impossible to stop reading.

"If you met anyone as whiny, disobliging and egocentric as the average narrator of a novel in real life you'd find them unbearable."

They lead us in a very loose narrative through their odd experience, thoughts and realities flowing into one another, making a quick pace that switches between these in a way that almost seems haphazard. They speak right to the reader with a first person perspective, the fourth wall almost transparent.

We're invited to step into his mind as his two lives begin to blur together. An actor, someone fuelled by external praise, by pretending and vanity, now living a life of quiet reflection now living a life of quiet reflection, of anonymity - the contrast was delicious.

Their life in the bag not only provides an interesting reading experience, but draws out so many questions that makes this either the best or worst book to read at book club. Does our superficial perceptions affect how we relate to people? Who are we beyond how we're perceived? Do we treat people worse when there's anonymity? How do we relate to ourselves without the opinions of others? And when sex, power and looks is stripped away, what does the concept of masculinity really mean?

Stylistically, this may be a little divisive as I'm also one of those people who isn't a fan of books that omit speech marks, but after a while I was so transfixed in the story that I honestly stopped caring. An irreverent existential crisis hidden under an off-kilter romcom and journey of self-discovery.

"There are things, he says, that are worth losing yourself over."

[Off Service Book Recs · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of people dream of a job that allows them to sit around and do nothing. Out-of-work actor Luke Kennard has just landed it. Down to his last month's rent and quickly approaching annihilation, Luke manages to snag au unusual position with Dr. Blend, a university professor who is conducting a psychological experiment. The gig? Discovering how will Dr. Blend’s students react to someone zipped into an oversized bag (Luke), sitting at the back of the lecture hall over a semester's lectures? This eagerly-accepted-if-bizarre role begins to have unintended consequences - from a professor of post-humanism who wonders with questions of her own (for example, can you love someone secreted zipped inside a black bag?), to the black bag's childhood best friend-turned-internet-streamer who sees a way to monetize the ridiculousness of it all, to Luke himself as doing the bag job slowly morphs into BEING the bag, this wacky story of off-kilter love, masculinity, and wondering if there is indeed a naked man zipped into that ridiculous costume, you'll never look at black bags the same way.

I love a book with a ridiculous premise, especially if it's one baked in real-life facts - so this book was right up my alley, and immediately caught my attention with the eye-catching cover. I think "what would happen if I just wore a bag over my head" has intruded on my mind more often than not the past few years - the draw of anonymity in an increasingly online and face-forward world is alluring, especially if you're getting paid. I thought this book did a great job of addressing the inane, bringing up some incredibly valid food-for-thought in the realm of philosophical musings on relationships, masculinity, belonging, and commerce in a digital age while also really continuing to up the ante with how off-the-rails the story got - there were times I had no idea where were were going, and there's definitely some cheesy pun about the wool (or, bag) covering one's eyes in there that I'm too tired to parse out. Overall, a great off-the-beaten path read with some thoughts to chew on from the comfort of your own black bag (or equivalent), and I'd definitely read another book by this author bag or no bag.

[Tonya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fans of exceptionally rare and unique plots and prose will absolutely adore Black Bag by Luke Kennard. When this advanced physical copy showed up on my doorstep, I was immediately intrigued by the peculiar premise: an actor paid to perform in a psychological experiment wherein they observe a college lecture for the entire semester completely enclosed in a black bag with only holes to see out of. To be perceived without reciprocating interaction, to watch as hesitance turns into curiosity turns into heated chemistry, to quantify social behavior and acceptance while being nothing more than a body bag - what an extraordinary concept.

Black Bag provides readers with a new experience, not just in plot, but in composition and prose. While first person narration is common, this felt more like we were being spoken to directly by the narrator, almost like a fourth wall break. The frequent variation in pace was intriguing as well, sometimes moving quickly like a stream of consciousness, while other times it slowed down significantly, but each felt intentional. It was a novel experience.

Black Bag is coming to shelves on March 17, 2026 and you simply must nab it while you can!

*Thank you to @zandoprojects, @penguinrandomhouse, and @luukekennnard for providing me with an advanced physical copy of this book. All opinions are my own!

[Kimberly · Rating 2 out of 5]

My initial reaction to seeing that this book was over 300 pages was, “how is he going to carry this premise on for over 300 pages?” Well he does it by bloating-droning on-wait, let me be nice. He fills the book with a lot of the narrator’s thoughts about things and experiences outside of the central premise that don’t enrich it, or the story overall, or make me connect with the character. I saw someone on Goodreads said they DNF’d at 10% and I realized that is exactly where I wanted to give up too. The opening of this book and its premise were so promising. I fear the execution ultimately failed the premise and its potential. It takes so long for the book to get to the point of the black bag that I didn’t even care anymore once I got there. I tried to make it through this one, I really did. It was as my mother would say “ not worth the calories!” My time felt better spent writing and posting this review than finishing the book. I applaud the author for writing a book. That’s an accomplishment. However, you don’t need to read it. I would respectfully recommend that you don’t.

Thank you to #netgalley and Zando for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Alia · Rating 3 out of 5]

What if you were paid (pretty handsomely) to be a “black bag” and just sit silently in class twice a week… and you’re so desperate for a job??! 😏

Thank you so much NetGalley for the e-ARC. I leave this review voluntarily.

The main character gives adult Anne of Green Gables vibe but make it a guy — imaginative, a bit odd in a charming way, and always observing the world with quiet humour. We never learn his name, which adds to that sense of mystery around him.

But wow… the writing. The way Luke Kennard tackles real-world issues in such a strange, creative, fictional way is really impressive. I love when an author can weave modern problems into a story that feels imaginative and unique.

My one complaint: the dialogue formatting. The first half was genuinely confusing — no quotation marks, no clear indicators of who’s speaking, and I kept rereading paragraphs to understand properly. Maybe I just got used to it, because the second half was much easier to follow.

This book won’t be for everyone. It’s short, it’s weird, it’s smart, and honestly… a little fun too. I appreciate what it tried to do, even if it left me with more questions than answers.

[Katrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Black Bag by Luke Kennard is a quirky, peculiar novel, peppered with humour throughout. Loosely inspired by a real experiment conducted in the 1960s, the story centres on a struggling actor who, desperate for income, accepts an unusual job: dressing as a black bag and sitting silently in a university lecture hall twice a week. Inevitably, the role begins to take over his life.

The novel features an array of odd and memorable side characters — the love interest in particular stands out — and overall I found Black Bag an enjoyable read. The novel’s oddness is mostly delightful. That said, the complete absence of quotation marks (a personal pet hate) took some getting used to, and the book could comfortably have lost around a hundred pages. There were moments where it really dragged.

Still, the positives outweigh the negatives, and the book’s weirdness is part of its charm.

A definite pick-up for fans of Kafka and the like.

Worth a look.

With thanks to John Murray for the ARC.

[Peter Dixon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fascinating read, a work of fiction based loosely on a real world experiment. Whereas the original experiment took place in the 1960s, this is a contemporary novel. Set in an unnamed university, the main character is an actor struggling to make ends meet, who agrees to attend lectures anonymously in a large black bag. Who is the Black Bag? Why are they there? How will the people who encounter Black Bag respond?

The author grapples with some big questions and, as such, this is certainly not a book to judge by either of the covers I have seen. I picked it up initially because it looked a bit daft and was described as "blazingly funny". It is certainly interesting, compelling and thought provoking, but funny? "Quirky" would be a better description. Very occasionally, slightly humorous. One thing it definitely is not, is suitable for children. Prepare to enjoy yourself, but perhaps expect the unexpected.

[Reading Xennial · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a totally different book than I’m used to. I do like weird books because I never know how they’ll land with me and I’m always curious. I was kinda in the middle with this one. I liked the premise and I was wondering how it was going to fill 300 pages with such a vague premise.

I liked the mystery of this book. We never even got the man’s name which I thought added a nice touch. If we did then I missed it. It did drag on a bit and it felt like there were many parts and plot points that didn’t add much to the overall story. It did take some time getting used to the dialogue not having quotation marks. This book definitely has its audience, but it will be difficult to know who to refer to.

Thank you, NetGalley and Zando Projects for allowing me to read this early. The opinion in this review is my own.

[Megan Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Zando for the ARC!

Unfortunately, this didn’t do it for me. I was very excited for this since it sounds right up my alley, and parts of it were very good but more of it was not. it’s not bad just not what I was expecting or hoping for from this.

The main story of him as black bag in the classroom was a very small part of this. I liked the Justine storyline the most, but I feel like his inner ramblings and thoughts plus everything with Claudio took up most of the story and I just did not like or care about the Claudio stuff.

This wasn’t terrible but it was not what I was hoping for. I think there is definitely an audience for this and I wish it was me.

[Ashley Rascoe]

DNF

I really wanted to enjoy this one, but it just wasn't for me. Unfortunately, I had to DNF at 21%, which I rarely do. The cover and premise sounded weird and intriguing, which it definitely is! But the writing style and ramblings were hard for me to get through and stay entertained. I kept hoping something would get me hooked, but it never came.

I still encourage everyone to explore stories on their own to see if it's up their alley, but I cannot recommend this one personally.

[Sonee Singh · Rating 3 out of 5]

The novel is written in a unique style. It’s quirky and at times, funny. It's about an actor who takes a job to dress up in a black bag and attend classes, which elicits interesting reactions, even from the protagonist himself. The best way I can describe this book is that it's kind of like Seinfeld in a novel, but it’s not as good as Seinfeld.

[Liz · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was weird in a way I did not enjoy. Black Bag leans hard into abstract, philosophical territory and left me exhausted. I spent most of the time waiting for a payoff that never came. I finished it, but I didn’t like it.

[Remi]

it could either work or not, i'm super intrigued by the idea.

*thank you to Zando for the ARC*

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know what I do...short reviews for you all. Mostly because I don't want to spoil these great books for everyone. Reading is a journey, eh? So, go on this journey with me, Black Bag by Luke Kennard, not your usual story. 

      An out of work actor takes a, well, unusual job. Work is work right? The job is sitting in the back of a lecture hall while a professor teaches his class...all while being zipped up inside of a black bag. It's a psychological experiment to see how people react. Like I said, not the usual work of fiction. 

     So here's what I love about this, aside from my love of stories that think outside of the bag (sorry), is what is beneath the surface. The story of relationships is really what stood out for me. There's a very unique personal one shall we say, that is developed with another professor who has their own experiment in mind. It's also how we interact with one another, how exposure leads to understanding and knowing. It's about (fragile) masculinity, monetization of, well, everything, herd mentality, a dash of cultistism. Really a great lense on sociology.  Things definitely twist and turn and reveal in unexpected ways...and I think it's definitely worth picking up.