The Paradox Twins

by Joshua Chaplinsky

The Paradox Twins is a copyright infringing biographical collage that exists on the Internet, pieced together by an unknown auteur.

Named for the famous thought experiment, it concerns estranged twin brothers who reunite at their father's funeral to discover they no longer look alike. Haunted by the past (and possibly the future), they move into their father's house to settle his affairs, only to reignite old rivalries and uncover long-hidden secrets, most of which involve the young woman who lives next door.

An epistolary work comprised of excerpts from various memoirs, novels, screenplay adaptations, and documents of public record, The Paradox Twins is an experimental, sci-fi ghost story about the scariest, most unknowable quantity there is-family.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Science Fiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published April 6, 2021

Reviews

[Sadie Hartmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

“A debut novel that discovers brand new territory and claims it as its own."

A full review to come! Fans of an interactive format like HOUSE OF LEAVES by Mark Z. Danielewski or THE LANTERN MAN by Jon Bassoff; tons of notes at the bottom of the pages that are important to the reader. Also that weird feeling that none of the "true accounts" are true and that YOU the reader are actually a witness to the "truth". Just a really strange, experimental book that leaves a lasting impression.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh man, I was super unsure about this as I first started it due to the strange set up but holy crap, once I got used to the ebb and flow I fucking loved it. A psuedo biographical retelling of two twin brothers and their dark family issues, hosted online by an anoymous webmaster, through the use of copyright infringed republications of an unreleased screenplay, public domain documents, and the family's own memoirs, with clever use of footnoting (which I usually H.A.T.E.).

Kudos for how Joshua manipulated novel-norms! Everything is questionable, no one is reliable, and there may or may not be some unexplained phenomenon taking place here.

Brillantly executed, once you learn how to follow along.

Also.. hello?!? That COVER!!

[Thomas Kendall · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Paradox Twins achieves a rare intimacy through mediation, articulating and resolving the paradox of its structure in doing so. More than a clever structural trick the various layers of documentation which comprise the narrative act, like so many curations of truth, so many defence mechanisms, to reveal what renders the limits of their claim. What makes them obsolete.

The mutable-ambiguity of the structure renders any definite claims impossible, certain things must be taken on faith. However, each text and character here imply that for all the variations of time, all our relativities, there remain events in the past no velocity can reach. It is the living within the impossibilities of intimacy, in the found, that prove valuable and possibly real.

[Tyler Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joshua Chaplinsky is one of the most unique writers working today. His collection WHISPERS IN THE EAR OF A DREAMING APE is a remarkably diverse kaleidoscope of stories, all of which demonstrate his ability to tell stories that are like nothing you’ve ever read.

Chaplinsky brings all of his powers to this novel, an energetic, mysterious, and disorienting book that works on your brain long after you’ve closed the pages.

What I love about Chaplinsky is that he is not afraid to mess with form. Some may call it “experimental,” but that word often means frustrating and self-indulgent. Chaplinsky’s experiments are never gimmicks, and the way he uses them are vital to how the story is told, and ultimately, understood.

A strange and hypnotic book, THE PARADOX TWINS is that perfect antidote for the reader who gets tired of reading A to B fiction. It’s midnight jazz in a world of radio pop. After DREAMING APE I was really looking forward to this book, and it does not disappoint. Highly recommended.

[Gabriel Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chaplinsky has annihilated the traditional novel narrative — never before have I had such a blast sifting through the rubble. But it's the mystery of family that fuses all the pieces back together for us, the bottomless he said/she said where everyone's a writer, therefore everyone's the unreliable POV that you must take leaps of faith with your trust. That's love, baby — the threat of secrets your blood might take to its grave if you don't choose to engage with bravery. A story told through multi- mediums and documents, with footnotes as part of the snapback narration like an American Borges writing science fiction as directed by Wes Anderson. An achievement of challenging experiment with surprisingly mainstream appeal.

[Adrian Coombe · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favourite books is The Third Policeman by Flann O'Brien. This is like a modern version, with a super structure of different perspectives, narrators and footnotes. Really great, I finished the last half in no time, didn't want to put it down.

[Benoit Lelièvre · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know if weird metafiction is a genre in itself, but this novel really messed with my sense of boundaries. The constant shift between factual and fictionalized accounts of reality had me wondering at times whether I was reading a paranormal novel or simply a family saga about twin brothers dealing with the loss of their enigmatic dad.

The Paradox Twin was more of a cerebral workout than a full fledged emotional experience and at times I was wondering if the immediacy of film would've have worked better with the material, but it has real scope and ambition. The Langley brothers (and their neighbor Millicent) are investigating the greater unknown through their own DNA, which I thought was a smart way of bridging the gap between physics and metaphysics.

If you liked movies like The Exorcist 3 and The Astronaut's Wife, this is the kind of vibe The Paradox Twins is going for. It's moody, cerebral and makes you work for your moments.

[Adrian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this more as I love metafiction, so I bought this as soon as I saw it was a weird take on that. But it didn't quite go far enough for me, the story wasn't as weird and disorientating, the footnotes weren't long and detailed enough. I just would have liked it a bit more full on.

But some of the footnotes have such a creepy post-truth / trolling feel that hint at what this style could be in the future. In places it really hits that internet age Pale Fire vibe. Definitely an author I will watch out for.

[Russ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely enjoyed it, and liked the way the story progressed using different sources. I expected something more sci-fi, but there's little of that here, more of an exploration of sibling rivalry.

I do feel like I missed something in the final part of the book, something about the identity of the person writing the footnotes. Following the idea presented of reading the afterward backward while skipping paragraphs didn't illuminate anything for me. Still not totally sure if I missed something, or if I was just hoping for a bigger revelation.

[Elwyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

"They say there are three sides to every story: yours, mine, and the truth." This is how the webmaster introduces his work. He speaks under the pseudonym Joshua Chaplinsky, an artist, not a writer.

The webmaster has decided to collect the memoirs of three characters: Albert "Alan" Langley, Max Langley and Milicent Blackford. Indeed, these three characters each recounted the somewhat strange events they witnessed following the death of Paul Langley, father of the aforementioned twins Albert and Max.

The novel takes the form of a patchwork of copyrighted materials, memoirs of each of the three protagonists. The narrator punctuates his exhibition with footnotes of his personal thoughts or cultural references. While footnotes can often weigh down a text, they are very well used here to add depth or some more lighter moments. It is also worth noting that the work is packed with cultural and pop references.

In terms of 'plot', the novel takes the Twin paradox as a starting point to rebuild the story of the dysfunctional Langley family. Following the death of their father, the two Langley brothers are reunited, and while sorting through their father's belongings, discover a little more about their origins.

In itself, I have to say that there is little SF in the book in the pure sense of what one might expect, which might displease some of the readers, but the novel becomes excellent because of its form.

The strength of the form
As I mentioned, the strength of the novel lies in its form. And for this, I can only bow to the author's talent. Joshua Chaplinsky has created fictional characters, recounted fictional memoirs, written fictional novels, and turned them into a kind of fictional metafiction as well.

The patchwork is made up of extracts from memoirs, novels (within the novel), film scripts, truths, lies. I think it requires wit and excellence to bring together three separate stories (despite their similarities), and gradually blend them together to paint a picture of a potential truth.

I appreciate that at the end of my reading, I am still a bit confused and don't have a clear and definitive answer. In the end, I have my side of the story, and maybe you have another, and I think that's the author's goal.

Potential digression, but I could see the work being adapted into a miniseries. A narrator (the webmaster) faces an empty theatre, telling the story, while mixing it with the "actual" scenes of a truth. I don't know if you know what I mean, but for me it's very clear.

To sum up: Joshua Chaplinsky delivers an excellent text, with remarkable finesse and construction. A real page-turner, I was seduced, my brain was turned inside out, and I can only recommend you to read it.

[Thibaut · Rating 2 out of 5]

Soyons honnête, je m’attendais à une Maison des Feuilles bis au vu des nombreuses comparaisons et forcément j’ai été déçu. J’étais persuadé que quelque chose allait se passer, quelque chose qui toucherait à l’imaginaire. Mais la seule touche de science fiction est que les livres cités dans ce récit aient trouvé non seulement une maison d’édition mais en plus du succès. Je ne crois pas une seule seconde que cette histoire aussi quelconque autour d’une famille dysfonctionnelle puisse intéresser autant de monde, même fictifs.
Concrètement, ce qui n’a pas marché pour moi ce sont les personnages et l’écriture. Mais l’histoire m’a tout de même tenu en haleine, j’ai apprécié le collage de différents formats et j’étais curieux de voir notamment le rôle des notes de bas de page et, sur ça, je n’ai pas été déçu.

[Stuart Coombe · Rating 5 out of 5]

There’s a lot to unpack here.
Reminded me in part of pallbearers club by Tremblay, an ambiguous and untrustworthy narrator (or 3) and a supernatural and otherworldly arc. This had the addition of family dynamics and made for a quick enjoyable story with a lasting impression

[stasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

[juin 2023]
Je l'ai littéralement dévoré en deux jours...
Le texte est court, prenant et la narration est juste super bien faite et original!

L'histoire en elle-même n'a rien de 'particulier' si ce n'est un secret de famille que nos protagonistes ignorent et vont s'en rapprocher lors d'un évènement qui va réunir les deux jumeaux après plusieurs années sans s'être vu.

Ce qui fait la force de ce récit c'est la narration qui est particulièrement bien amenée!
On a une sorte de sélection d'extraits et de collages de ceux-ci de telle manière qu'ils racontent l'histoire de la façon la plus 'complète' possible. Si une source omet un évènement (volontairement ou non), alors une autre source qui traite de cet évènement sera incorporé dans le collage pour couvrir au maximum chaque recoin de la vérité.

En plus de cette narration particulière, la diversité des supports de l'histoire est super plaisant à lire! On alterne donc souvent de point de vue, mais c'est toujours très bien fiat, très fluide, on ne s'y perd pas à un seul instant.

Ce récit est un peu un petit ovni, avec un élément un peu fantastique qu'on ne s'explique pas forcément, avec un 'drame' familial et finalement l'on sent que l'on a juste assisté à une tranche de vie.
Ce livre se veut un peu comme une enquête qu'un internaute aurait posté sur reddit, et c'est vraiment la sensation que l'on a, on découvre l'histoire, on est très vite pris dedans. On veut aussi savoir la finalité et finalement qu'on on sait on passe à autre chose :)

Pas un coup de cœur (peut-être trop court? mais c'est aussi la force de ce récit) mais j'ai adoré pour l'originalité du récit et l'expérience qu'il représente !

[Ashley Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Paradox Twins by Joshua Chaplinsky

When the likes of Blake Butler, author of Alice Knott, Steve Erickson, author of Shadowbahn and Brian Evenson, author of Immobility all throw down the gauntlet in support of a new author it is difficult not to pay attention. That author is Joshua Chaplinsky and the fuss has been inspired by his newest release, The Paradox Twins and that in itself creates something of a paradox.

If one takes as the definition of ‘paradox’ as “a seemingly absurd or contradictory statement or proposition which when investigated may prove to be well founded or true,” then this most certainly applies to the enormously positive endorsements of Butler, Erickson and Evenson (and others).
Butler, an undeniably experimental author, describes The Paradox Twins as a “coy, uncanny hybrid of J.G. Ballard and John Carpenter, the Oulipo and the Bizarro.” OK, perhaps very early Ballard at a stretch. Carpenter’s The Thing (1982) is most definitely a touchstone but the Oulipo?

Founded in Paris in 1960, the Oulipo group viewed imaginative writing as an exercise dominated by notions of ‘constraints.’ Oulipo (Ouvroir de litterature potentiale) embraced such writers as Italo Calvino, Harry Mathews, Georges Perec and Raymond Queneau. The tone of The Paradox Twins does have something in common with Calvino’s more fantastical texts, but the Oulipo were essentially experimentalists, so is Butler suggesting Chaplinsky’s text is experimental? And if so, in what way(s)?
Chaplinsky utilises footnotes in wonderfully subversive ways. But this has been done before and thus is far from ‘experimental’. Chaplinsky himself has acknowledged as much via Mark Z. Danielewski’s House of Leaves (2000) let alone DFW’s literary 1996 monolith Infinite Jest. Chaplinsky also utilises a number of voices to propel his narrative and while particularly effective here, is far from new in the metafictional world.

Steve Erickson’s approval of The Paradox Twins should come as no surprise given that his own Zeroville (2007) was an equally joyous acknowledgement of the influence of cinema. The Paradox Twins is, in its way, a homage to Stanley Kubrick and one is jolted awake by Chaplinsky to realise just how subversive Kubrick really was.

Two Kubrick films, the epic science fiction saga 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and LOLITA (1962), in which academic Humbert Humbert becomes obsessed with a lanky but blossoming teen, are referenced throughout. Similarly, Chaplinsky is not afraid to remind us of the magic of the ridiculously unalike authors Arthur C. Clark and Vladimir Nabokov, neither of whom I’ve read for well over 30 years.

But given that The Paradox Twins is indeed about twins, two other films spring to mind; David Cronenberg’s 1988 psychological thriller Dead Ringers, starring Jeremy Irons in a dual role as identical twin gynaecologists, and Peter Greenaway’s 1985 A Zed & Two Noughts in which twin zoologists lose their wives in a car accident and become obsessed with decomposing animals. The Paradox Twins features twins who are essentially amateur physicists (one a science teacher the other a YA science fiction author). Twin gynaecologists, zoologists and would-be physicists – it’s obviously in the genes.

And then there’s the image of the Astronaut, long settled, one would have surmised, by Kubrick in 1968. But more recently we have Jeff VanderMeer’s Dead Astronauts (2019) with its similarly haunting image of the helmeted explorer. (And yes, Sandra Bullock and George Clooney’s 2013 Gravity) and, like Chaplinsky, its suggestion of deathly entombment

And then, right at the end, Chaplinsky throws in a reference to David Lynch and we are reminded of the Agent Cooper/BOB twin syndrome in Twin Peaks: The Return and it’s back down the rabbit hole.

At this juncture you’d be justified in stating that isn’t so much a review as a listing of cultural touchstones, and you’d be correct. But this is one of the things Chaplinsky’s Paradox Twins does – it triggers memories both cultural and personal, familial and supernatural. It puts them in a blender with dabs of horror, sci-fi, family drama, sexual tension and farce and out pops… a paradox. Drink it at your peril.

[Triskel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gros coup de cœur chez l’Atalante de ce début d'année, bien traduit (as usual) par Mikael Cabon, ce récit expérimental est une expérience agréable, référencée et hautement recommandable !

Une lecture rapide et addictive !

Si vous aimez Chuck Palahniuk, Mark Z. Danielewski ou Thomas Pynchon, foncez !

[Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Death in the family and family matters, there is a pursuit of truth, and all of that, and a possible not so memoir book about his life and prominent physicist father.
Rip roaringly ride to crack a smile, all unfolding before you in an unconventional told weird tale, “unofficial chronicles” with spaceman twist fun fates of two brothers, twins, one a science teacher the other an author.

The Twin club.
Fear and loathing in twin world.
The rise and fall of the Langleys.

Must watch 2001: A Space Odyssey again.

Review also @ https://www.more2read.com/review/the-paradox-twins-by-joshua-chaplinsky/

[Peter Derk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review forthcoming

[Annie Ashbrook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Guinness Book of World Record holder for most unreliable narrators to characters ratio in a book.

Me and Joshua epistolary besties for the resties.

[Thomas Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first thing to note about The Paradox Twins, is the unusual structure the book adopts. ‘Epistolary’ is the best word to describe it, with the entire narrative delivered through excerpts from three separate memoirs, multiple screenplays, letters, and online message boards. All of these seamlessly combine to tell the story of estranged twins Max and Albert Langley, who are forced to endure each other’s company when their emotionally-distant father is discovered dead in his front garden by neighbour Millie Blackford. Each memoir is written from the point of view of Max, Albert and Millie, and, while the recollection of certain events differs from author to author, the main story remains consistent. Indeed, it is the differences that drives the narrative forward, as we explore the natures of the relationships between each of our main characters.

It is clear that Max and Albert had a difficult upbringing with their father, a world-renowned physicist who casts a long shadow. While Max thrust out on his own at the earliest opportunity and forged himself a career as a novelist (specifically in the YA field), Albert remained in their hometown and took a job as a teacher. Sibling rivalry plays a major part in the story, with Albert openly resentful of Max’s success and even his appearance. While they were born identical twins, years spent apart seems to have favoured Max better than Albert. Combine both elements and the successful novelist has grown accustomed to a lavish lifestyle filled with adoring fans and one-night stands. When he returns home to the life he abandoned at the first opportunity, to a brother who has the sole responsibility of settling their father’s estate and a mother in a nursing home, Albert’s seething resentment comes to the surface.

Their strained relationship isn’t helped by the addition of Millie into the mix. At nineteen, she is a budding author in her own right and is starstruck by the return of her neighbour, who she is instantly attracted to, and who could offer her a helping hand with her own career. How Albert feels about Millie isn’t completely clear; he seems self-conscious when in her company and jealous of the attention she gives Max. But he adopts a more protective stance over her when he realises the intentions of his womanising brother, something which plays out well when a major revelation is made toward the end of the book. Millie isn’t totally blameless in all of this; she isn’t depicted as simply a “thing” for Max and Albert to fight over. Giving each of the characters their own memoir on the subject, and affording each of them their own unique voice, is both a great accomplishment for the delivery of the story, and a great idea to offer the story more dimensions.

The book doesn’t have chapters, as such. Rather, each new excerpt progresses the story, often offering a different point of view to the preceding action before moving the story onto the next point of contention. While Max seeks to exploit his father’s fate to mine it for a book about his family, and Millie—with a little help from Max—wants to pursue her own literary career, Albert only wants to close the chapter of his life with his domineering father and make a fresh start. While they become entangled in each other’s lives, through family drama and the uncovering of family secrets, they seem to be haunted by the past. Literally, if some of the recollections are to be believed. There are sightings of a strange figure throughout, and reports of conversations with ghosts. But, as is pointed out by our narrator in the footnotes, some of the passages are more believable than others, and some (especially the screenplay) are played purely for entertainment.

The book is described as experimental, which is fair, given the structure and the way it is presented (“a copyright infringing biographical collage that exists on the Internet, pieced together by an unknown auteur”). While the story could possibly have been delivered in a more straightforward fashion, it is this adventurous style and structure that gives it much of its charm. The family drama storyline, including rivalries and infidelities, could have been bland in the hands of a lesser storyteller. But Chaplinsky proves an adept observer of human behaviour, managing to imbue his characters with all-too realistic mannerisms and flaws. Adding the (possibly) supernatural elements, and the mystery of the emotionally-distant father’s private life, makes the story unpredictable and keeps the reader wondering how it will all play out. But the main draw are the characters and how their relationships unfold. Chaplinsky has delivered an adventurous and unique book, full of dry humour, and realistic and flawed characters you can’t help but root for. A rewarding reading experience that more than delivers on the promise made by his earlier work.

[Steve]

Praise for THE PARADOX TWINS:

"Chaplinsky takes a famous physics paradox and brings it back down to earth, using it to rethink the ways in which families relate and interrelate and disintegrate. A collage that assembles itself into a sneaky whole in which it's not always easy to tell what the truth is."

--Brian Evenson, author of Song For the Unraveling of the World

"As confirmed by The Paradox Twins, Joshua Chaplinsky is one of a handful of American novelists creating the literature of the future: dazzling, original and subversive."

--Steve Erickson, author of Zeroville and Shadowbahn

"Like a coy, uncanny hybrid of J.G. Ballard and John Carpenter, the Oulipo and the Bizarro, The Paradox Twins is an engrossing and digressive trip through birth and back, stuffed from end to end with mystic weirdness and meta-gags with style to spare."

--Blake Butler, author of Alice Knott and 300,000,000

"Family, like life (and fiction!), requires some assembly. And in the skewed, dark, strangely tender landscape of The Paradox Twins, all the pieces are placed in the reader's hands."

--Kathe Koja, author of The Cipher

"Every once in a while a shoebox novel has an understory. The Paradox Twins goes even deeper, is pretty much multiphasic -- how much more meta can it get? Chaplinsky is here to show you."

--Stephen Graham Jones, author of Mongrels and The Only Good Indians

"A daring and inventive novel that does justice to the complicated nature of all stories, and all entanglements. Chaplinsky plays with form and structure like a pro, giving us a book that is many books--a haunting collage you might re-read the moment you've finished it."

--Lindsay Lerman, author of I'm From Nowhere

"A brain-bending epistolary work that defies genre, format and expectation, The Paradox Twins is part family drama, part sci-fi epic, part ghost story, and wholly original. Chaplinsky writes with bright, irreverent strangeness, but the most outlandish moments of this story never keep the reader at a distance or numb the emotional impact. We're right there with Max and Alan as they navigate the thorny mystery of their lives, their father's death, and their relationship to one another and to the world."

--Meredith Borders, FANGORIA

"Imagine if you put Roshomon, Chuck Palahniuk, House of Leaves, Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey and the dysfunctional family dramedy of Wes Anderson into a blender. That's Joshua Chaplinsky's The Paradox Twins, a crackling new novel whose every twist and turn lands with emotionally-satisfying precision. Buy this book."

--Scott Wampler, THE KINGCAST

"A debut novel that discovers brand new territory and claims it as its own."

--Sadie Hartmann, aka Mother Horror

"...a stunningly complex and lovingly crafted book about the unfathomable mystery of family and how it evolves over time."

--Matt Hill, INVERT/EXTANT

"Chaplinsky has annihilated the traditional novel narrative -- never before have I had such a blast sifting through the rubble. Like an American Borges writing science fiction as directed by Wes Anderson. An achievement of challenging experiment with surprisingly mainstream appeal."

--Gabriel Hart, author of A Return to Spring

xxx

[Brennan LaFaro · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first thing to talk about with Joshua Chaplinsky’s The Paradox Twins is the epistolary format. I guess it doesn’t have to be the first thing, but it’s what sticks out to me most, so you’re stuck. Chaplinsky cites an old saying early-on—that every story has 3 sides: yours, mine, and the truth. After that nugget gets dropped, it’s hard to ignore that the story is told from three somewhat differing viewpoints, with records sprinkled in and the occasional footnote from the book’s compiler, oddly enough also named Joshua Chaplinsky.

The story revolves around two estranged twin brothers who reunite at their father’s funeral, coming to realize immediately they no longer look alike. What follows sees the two brothers, Alan and Max, settling what to do with their father’s house and legacy. Max is a famous YA science fiction writer, and sees the opportunity to turn the event into his next project. His entries in the book jump back and forth between a screenplay and prose, and while they seem exaggerated and one-sided, we only have two other POV’s to the story to base that assumption off.

Alan’s version of the story comes off as the most grounded, and the one the reader tends to put stock in, for better or worse. Throughout the book, it seems like Chaplinsky knows the reader will trust this voice, as the story does the bulk of its moving forward, especially at the beginning, under Alan’s watchful eye.

The final narrator is Millicent, the woman who lives next door to the father’s house, and was unlucky enough to find the body that sets the story in motion. Her much-needed perspective allows us to see an outsider’s view of both Max and Alan, each the hero of their own narrative. Neither man is without their flaws, some bigger than others, and Millie lays them bare.

The frequent editor footnotes makes the book feel more curated, as opposed to varying accounts being collected and slapped together. Sometimes a smart-ass, the narrator voice reminded me more than a little of Ron Howard’s voice overs from Arrested Development. The reader can’t let it escape their notice, however, that the ultimate story being told is being compiled and edited by someone in an attempt to tell their version of the story. High drama, indeed.

The Paradox Twins, to me, was more about the way the story was told than the story itself. It’s a fast-engaging read, and while some might find the constant shifts in POV or media jarring, it’s what carried me through the book in a short amount of time. If mixed media storytelling, where that element is crucial to the finished product, rather than just a gimmick, is in your wheelhouse, you might find this book right up your alley.

[redqueen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was neutral to me. A slight family mystery with not a ton of insight, however to be perfectly transparent I went in expecting this book to be a lot weirder and perhaps even supernatural. I got through it easily enough and if you enjoy a little family drama this would be perfectly suitable for your tastes.

[Matt Neil Neil · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is out in April 2021 from Clash Books.

Joshua Chaplinsky’s debut novel The Paradox Twins is an epistolary collage featuring a quartet of narrators sporting varying degrees of unreliability competing to tell the definitive story of estranged twins Max and Albert Langley and the girl next door Millicent Blackford, all of whom cross paths after the death of the Langley’s father. The text is drawn from fiction, memoir, screenplay adaptations and legal documents, rearranged to create a god’s eye view in a post-truth world.

For a debut, this is a stunningly complex and lovingly crafted book about the unfathomable mystery of family and how it evolves over time. It’s about siblings, hard fathers and tougher mothers, and what love can make you do. It’s not really a surprise given his pedigree but Joshua Chaplinsky is a compelling long form author, and I think it’ll be very interesting to see what themes and structures he tackles next.

Full review at Invert/Extant: https://www.invertextant.com/post/rev...

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having already read Chaplinsky's collection of short stories, I was anticipating something unique here. The Paradox Twins definitely delivered that, and in the best way possible.

At first, I didn't know what to make of the multilayered innovative format, but within a few pages, I was hooked. The various narrative perspectives are skillfully interwoven, making it a pleasure to navigate them. "Chaplinsky's" footnotes add a great deal to the experience, periodically forcing you to step away and reexamine the narrative, creating a more meaningful and complex tale that, though on its surface is a simple story of familial struggles, becomes so much more. But that's what great writers do!

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paperback
A few years ago I read/ attempted to finish s/ship of Theseus. The similarities between the themes of these books are throughout. When there’s been so much change in your life, are you still the same person that you were? A very interesting idea that I still think about all the time from s. I hated reading it tho. The collage of that book was dense and boring and opaque. Whereas this is fun and inviting and suspenseful.

Besides the plot which I enjoyed immensely, I really dug the structure of this. Including “screenplay drafts” showed a bts arc of their own. The differing tones and focus of each one was fascinating. Making me think maybe every movie I’ve not enjoyed just needed minor tweaks. Not that they’re bad, just not as good as they could’ve been.

This definitely felt like palahniuk to me. I looks forward to reading more from chaplinsky. Even if he doesn’t write another novel as he quasi threatens in the afterword.

[David Riedel · Rating 5 out of 5]

All of the postmodernism without the headaches. Super fun!

[Joseph (Kevin) Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am saying 3.5 overall. The Paradox Twins is an actual scientific experiment about special relativity using twins as subjects. Like a science experiment, Chaplinsky uses 4 subjects to communicate the utterly difficult relationships inside that of the Langley family. There are 3 points of view, and a fourth person's footnotes to boot, as well as, a possible copyright infringement, which all add to the "questionable" truth of everything we have read. Who can you believe?
The reasons I chose this book was because it was said to be an example of "Weird Fiction". Besides the points of view and footnotes, there are references to Stanley Kubrick's movie and Arthur C. Clarke's book, 2001: A Space Odyssey throughout. In my opinion, it is very important to have at least seen the movie (sorry Mr. Clarke). I loved the references, but wanted more "weird".
Chaplinsky does use all of these tools (tricks?) to tell the story and keep the reader interested. My main issue was that the story itself, the underlying family drama wasn't as poignant as it could have been. I would have liked one of the points of view to have been sharper, more thought provoking.
Overall, a touching, funny, and unique look at one family's dysfunctions, as well as their strengths.

[Margaux · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ai-je déjà lu un livre pareil ? Non. Ai-je adoré ? Oui. Ai-je envie de relire un récit aussi perturbant ? Nope.

Il faut s'accrocher avec les Jumeaux du paradoxe. L'auteur va jouer avec vos émotions et votre esprit tout le long du récit. Quelle est la vérité ? Qui croire ? Qui est l'auteur de ce blog ? Toutes ces questions vont tourner dans votre tête. Le format sert bien le récit. Le collage de sources est vraiment intéressant, on sent que chaque auteur a sa plume propre qui est le refflet de sa personnalité. Je ne veux pas en dire trop donc je vais m'arrêter ici mais je conseille vraiment de tenter l'expérience !

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

My experience was that of reading a fairly enjoyable family drama, with a dash of comedy and oddity thrown in here and there. Unfortunately the oddity, the "horror", the "metafiction", is so sparse and lacking it frankly adds absolutely nothing to the story, take it or leave it, it really makes no difference. While it might make a great "first weird fiction" book for someone, to be more than that it needs to utilize the weirdness to create a more complex, unpredictable, and interwoven story.

It wasn't bad,
it just wasn't what it thought it was.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not something I’d typically pick up, and I don’t think I’ve fully grasped what actually happened in this novel, but what a cool & interesting ride!!

Pretty sure I’m misunderstanding the ending, but I’d like to keep it that way, because it FREAKED me out big time, and it was only at the last couple pages where I was like, “oh this IS a horror novel after all!”

I’d definitely recommend it for something unique and mind-bending.