J.

by William Sanders

Three women in three Dr. Ann Lucas, former NASA scientist and now a drugged and helpless mental patient, in a reality almost but not quite our own. Mad Jack, one eyed gunwoman and lover of women, in a ruined and lawless wasteland world. Jay Younger, living in the here and now, known to her readers simply as Jay -- a science fiction writer whose literary career is on the brink of disaster, an alcoholic and emotional wreck. When the impossible becomes real and boundaries between worlds start to dissolve, the fates of these three tormented, brave and intense women come together in a remarkable and daring story that examines the basic nature of reality and of human identity. William Sanders was born in Arkansas in 1942 and served with the US Army Security Agency during the Vietnam War. He is the author of more than 20 published books and many stories and articles; his short fiction has been nominated for major awards, including the Hugo and Nebula, and has twice won the Sidewise Award for Alternate History. He lives in Oklahoma with his motorcycle and his dog. "Girl meets girl meets girl, and she is them. J. is a high-energy sprint across parallel realities. Did I mention that I'm in love with Mad Jack?"
-- Susan R. Matthews, author of PRISONER OF CONSCIENCE and COLONY FLEET

280 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2001

About the author

this is William^^^Sanders

William Sanders served with the US Army Security Agency during the Vietnam War. He is the author of more than 20 published books and many stories and articles; his short fiction has been nominated for major awards, including the Hugo and Nebula, and has twice won the Sidewise Award for Alternate History.

see also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William...

Reviews

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

William Sanders' gift for naturalistic genre storytelling rivals Stephen King's. His plots are compulsive, his people seem real, and he treats the fantastic elements with a sense of ironic detachment that makes the strange seem... not mundane, but regular, orderly — expected.

I'm on a years-long quest to read Sanders' spottily published back catalog, and found J. in the recesses of the NYPL's ebook offerings. I wasn't as excited for it as for some of his others, but I fell in love immediately. He's just damn good.

In a different timeline, Guy Ritchie would have made a kickass film of J., about three different versions of Chloe Sevigny, who would have thanked Sanders in her Oscar acceptance speech. In a different, better timeline, Sanders would have gotten a smidgen of the success he deserved.

(All of this said, the story stops kind of abruptly — endings are hard!)

[EG · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read. It is about 3 very different women, who are in fact the very same person, but in different realities. And a mysterious event that ends up drawing them all together to solve a mystery about themselves, and how they are able to cross the boundaries of reality and meet in the first place!