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Intersection Thirteen
A journey to collect books becomes a race against time to escape an inwardly collapsing artificial universe.
In the far future, possessing literature or philosophy of any kind is strictly forbidden. Mira Rous works for the Reconstructionists, whose goal is to rebuild Earth's library of classics by harvesting similar works from parallel universes.
The job is slow and dangerous, but it is proceeding well enough until a scan of a parallel world reveals something altogether new: a country whose space is not on a parallel Earth, but is instead carved out of probability itself.
There Mira discovers literary riches beyond her wildest dreams. But when a freak occurrence destabilizes the artificial universes, retrieving their books turns into a life-threatening endeavor, both on account of the rapidly deteriorating physical spaces and government secrets that some would prefer stay buried.
In the far future, possessing literature or philosophy of any kind is strictly forbidden. Mira Rous works for the Reconstructionists, whose goal is to rebuild Earth's library of classics by harvesting similar works from parallel universes.
The job is slow and dangerous, but it is proceeding well enough until a scan of a parallel world reveals something altogether new: a country whose space is not on a parallel Earth, but is instead carved out of probability itself.
There Mira discovers literary riches beyond her wildest dreams. But when a freak occurrence destabilizes the artificial universes, retrieving their books turns into a life-threatening endeavor, both on account of the rapidly deteriorating physical spaces and government secrets that some would prefer stay buried.
226 pages, Paperback
Published June 18, 2021
3 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 20, 2021
I have not read a book like this for a long time. The plot was what drew me in, who wouldn't want to save books?, but the characters and world building kept me hooked. I will be the first to tell you I don't understand quantum physics but that does not hinder the story.
This is part space travel, part parallel worlds and part social commentary. Each character and world had a unique voice that was easy to follow. Watching the main character grow as she followed her quest was fascinating and the intricacies of her relationships I thought were very true to life. This book reminded me of both DUNE and ANIMAL FARM. I really enjoy it when a writer fills in background information as this author does in the form of emails back home rather then long expository explanations that detract from the flow of the story.
If you are looking for something different the this is it.
I received this book free from BookSirens and I am glad I could leave a good reveiw.
This is part space travel, part parallel worlds and part social commentary. Each character and world had a unique voice that was easy to follow. Watching the main character grow as she followed her quest was fascinating and the intricacies of her relationships I thought were very true to life. This book reminded me of both DUNE and ANIMAL FARM. I really enjoy it when a writer fills in background information as this author does in the form of emails back home rather then long expository explanations that detract from the flow of the story.
If you are looking for something different the this is it.
I received this book free from BookSirens and I am glad I could leave a good reveiw.
July 24, 2021
I have received a digital review copy via BookSirens and voluntarily provide my honest opinion. Thank you!
4 stars - Creative political Sci-Fi
Mira lives on an Earth in the future, where the North-American Continent is governed by two quite different but similarly oppressive regimes, which both do not allow for literature and philosophy to exist, so all of the classics have been destroyed. Mira and 8 fellows are the Reconstructionists and they travel to parallel Earths to find and restore literature. While travelling this inter-world space Mira stumbles upon the Intersections, living spaces made out of energy, carved out of space itself. In the beginning their society looks too good to be true to Mira, but as time progresses and an event that marks the the unravelling of the Intersections she comes to find out more about the dark underbelly at their foundation.
This was very well constructed, tightly written, well-paced Sci-Fi with an absolutely intriguing plot, interesting and complex characters and plenty of food for thought. Not to mention that it is centered on saving books - how can this not let the heart of any bookish lover of Sci-Fi beat faster? The autor is quite obviously well-read and eloquent and by using Mira's thoughts and voice incorporates plenty of polital and social commentary into the story that relates to our current times (like all good Sci-Fi does to some degree, I think).
When I started reading this I was sure that this was going to be a 5-star-read for me as it is ticking ALL of my boxes.
However, there is one aspect that I found a bit off-putting: the general political and social commentary comes across as pretty judgemental. There is plenty of mention of how naive people are for buying into the narrative that Capitalism sells. Some parts of the plot are also obviously commentary on how people and governments dealt with the COVID-crisis. He makes good points and I agree with some (Capitalism is bad! Being afraid to be killed by your government is even worse!) but also disagree with others (People are naive idiots for falling for Capitalism! They are also naive idiots for not believing in the crisis!). And I kind of dislike being force-fed the "right way" to see things. Honestly, I feel like the author is a bit of a smartass - but it takes one to recognise one, so I cannot be too annoyed by this 😉
There are also some minor logic holes (why is everybody using a common language, although written language has developed in diverging ways? How can computer systems and softwares from alternate realities be compatible?) but I didn't think they were a big issue.
So, if you like political Sci-Fi with alternate Earths and an intresting premise this one is pretty good!
4 stars - Creative political Sci-Fi
Mira lives on an Earth in the future, where the North-American Continent is governed by two quite different but similarly oppressive regimes, which both do not allow for literature and philosophy to exist, so all of the classics have been destroyed. Mira and 8 fellows are the Reconstructionists and they travel to parallel Earths to find and restore literature. While travelling this inter-world space Mira stumbles upon the Intersections, living spaces made out of energy, carved out of space itself. In the beginning their society looks too good to be true to Mira, but as time progresses and an event that marks the the unravelling of the Intersections she comes to find out more about the dark underbelly at their foundation.
This was very well constructed, tightly written, well-paced Sci-Fi with an absolutely intriguing plot, interesting and complex characters and plenty of food for thought. Not to mention that it is centered on saving books - how can this not let the heart of any bookish lover of Sci-Fi beat faster? The autor is quite obviously well-read and eloquent and by using Mira's thoughts and voice incorporates plenty of polital and social commentary into the story that relates to our current times (like all good Sci-Fi does to some degree, I think).
When I started reading this I was sure that this was going to be a 5-star-read for me as it is ticking ALL of my boxes.
However, there is one aspect that I found a bit off-putting: the general political and social commentary comes across as pretty judgemental. There is plenty of mention of how naive people are for buying into the narrative that Capitalism sells. Some parts of the plot are also obviously commentary on how people and governments dealt with the COVID-crisis. He makes good points and I agree with some (Capitalism is bad! Being afraid to be killed by your government is even worse!) but also disagree with others (People are naive idiots for falling for Capitalism! They are also naive idiots for not believing in the crisis!). And I kind of dislike being force-fed the "right way" to see things. Honestly, I feel like the author is a bit of a smartass - but it takes one to recognise one, so I cannot be too annoyed by this 😉
There are also some minor logic holes (why is everybody using a common language, although written language has developed in diverging ways? How can computer systems and softwares from alternate realities be compatible?) but I didn't think they were a big issue.
So, if you like political Sci-Fi with alternate Earths and an intresting premise this one is pretty good!
July 3, 2021
Excellent story!
Intersection Thirteen was a great read from beginning to end. Buscemi is masterful at wrangling many parallel worlds in his stories while maintaining clear and individual identities for each Earth. Furthermore, he does this without losing the reader or ignoring the "main Earth" and its timeline and society.
The premise of reconstructing books from parallel Earths is brilliant and, as far as I know novel (pun intended!).
The world of Intersection Thirteen itself is rich, fascinating, and keeps the reader interested in learning more about it. The settings are well visualized, but still leave plenty of room for the reader's interpretation. The same is true with the characters and I felt like I got to know Mira well. I particularly like it when authors can make me really care about characters, Buscemi has done that multiple times in his other works that I have read, and Intersection Thirteen in no exception.
Intersection Thirteen is another great story by Buscemi. Check it out, you won't be disappointed! If you aren't reading Buscemi's works by now, you should start!
Intersection Thirteen was a great read from beginning to end. Buscemi is masterful at wrangling many parallel worlds in his stories while maintaining clear and individual identities for each Earth. Furthermore, he does this without losing the reader or ignoring the "main Earth" and its timeline and society.
The premise of reconstructing books from parallel Earths is brilliant and, as far as I know novel (pun intended!).
The world of Intersection Thirteen itself is rich, fascinating, and keeps the reader interested in learning more about it. The settings are well visualized, but still leave plenty of room for the reader's interpretation. The same is true with the characters and I felt like I got to know Mira well. I particularly like it when authors can make me really care about characters, Buscemi has done that multiple times in his other works that I have read, and Intersection Thirteen in no exception.
Intersection Thirteen is another great story by Buscemi. Check it out, you won't be disappointed! If you aren't reading Buscemi's works by now, you should start!
July 14, 2021
Matthew writes an excellent book. Call it SciFi if you must but this is social and political commentary. Just imagine what the world would be like if we simply did the right thing for the right reason. But depressingly, it is hard to argue against the premise that there is nothing new under the sun. If you have seen it, you will see it again. We are what we are. It reminds me of my high school days when I would argue with my right wing parents about the values of other social organizations. I no longer do that since I am my parents. But I still hope/wish we were capable of living the true values of any Utopian dream. Matthew reminds me of that hope.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 22, 2022
On Earth in the future, possession of books is either completely illegal, if you live in an area governed by the Hegemony, or only allowed if it meets the constantly changing sense of approval of the Equum. And nothing prior to the 21st century is acceptable. The Reconstructionists, a group looking to preserve Earth's literary works, has managed to avoid both governing bodies while exploring worlds in alternate universes and collecting their libraries to rebuild the literary treasures of Earth.
The desire of the Reconstructionists to save books was what initially attracted me to the story. I could feel the emotions of Mira when she came across Intersection Thirteen, carved from the space between the parallel universes. The joy of discovering it had the largest library she had ever encountered, drawing from multiple universes, that would allow her to accelerate her restoration of Earth's library. And the confusion and sadness that none of the citizens had any interest in any of the treasures to be found there. She's even further baffled by the fact that no one in the intersections between the universes seems to be aware of the beings that inhabit that space, who have contacted all other multidimensional travelling societies she has encountered. A casual comment to a reporter for an intersection newspaper about those beings creates danger to not just Mira, but the intersections and parallel universes as well.
The story explores what oppression means in multiple cultures, and the importance of literature, and actually making use of it. I found I was kept guessing until the final chapter.
I did receive a free copy of this story from BookSirens in exchange for an honest review.
The desire of the Reconstructionists to save books was what initially attracted me to the story. I could feel the emotions of Mira when she came across Intersection Thirteen, carved from the space between the parallel universes. The joy of discovering it had the largest library she had ever encountered, drawing from multiple universes, that would allow her to accelerate her restoration of Earth's library. And the confusion and sadness that none of the citizens had any interest in any of the treasures to be found there. She's even further baffled by the fact that no one in the intersections between the universes seems to be aware of the beings that inhabit that space, who have contacted all other multidimensional travelling societies she has encountered. A casual comment to a reporter for an intersection newspaper about those beings creates danger to not just Mira, but the intersections and parallel universes as well.
The story explores what oppression means in multiple cultures, and the importance of literature, and actually making use of it. I found I was kept guessing until the final chapter.
I did receive a free copy of this story from BookSirens in exchange for an honest review.
December 11, 2021
I received an advance review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.
Intersection Thirteen is a brilliantly written sci-fi/speculative fiction story set in the distant future. Buscemi uses a familiar trope for the backdrop of this tale; what happens when the government eliminates access to knowledge and philosophy to control the masses. In this case, though, the story goes much farther than a rehashing of Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451.
I enjoyed this story for its entertainment value and for the way the author didn't complicate his story with a lot of technical jargon. The story follows the principal character the entire time and includes a small cast of supporting characters that all contribute in their own ways.
I loved the way the Buscemi developed the principal character by unveiling her backstory little-by-little through the entire book. It really brought her to life for me and helped with my understanding of her motivations.
According to the author, in the future, unspecified events lead up to a dystopian situation in which access to works of fiction and philosophy are banned and eliminated. The population will be relegated to a subsistence existence barely able to maintain a comfortable lifestyle. Drones in the air and on the ground constantly survey people as they go about their lives and rules are enforced by thugs that use harsh methods as enforcement. There are many dangers on the Earth of our universe.
The people of the future, according to Intersection Thirteen, have learned how to travel through interdimensional space and visit other Earths. A small group of individuals have made it their business to visit these other places to collect works of fiction and philosophy, hoping, one day, people will once again have access to the wonders of the past as presented through literature.
Mira, the point-of-view character, takes her small ship to the parallel earths on a journey to find and bring banned literature back to her planet and discovers an intersection carved out of interdimensional space. On the surface, it seems she has found a place where benevolence abounds. She discovers a vast library where she finds everything she is looking for. But as she learns, everything is not what it seems and there are secrets many would not like to come to light.
Principal character Mira Rous, loves literature and has made it her mission to be a part of a small group of individuals calling themselves the Reconstructionists. Their mission is to travel between dimensions and bring back banned literature to a world under the control of powers that want to control the thinking of the populace. She is driven to do this because of her experience growing up.
Mira is a thoughtful character, and we get her story in the past and present simultaneously through the story. Her character development is excellent and she quickly becomes someone the reader can care for and invest themselves in.
As an avid reader myself, I can appreciate Mira's plight, but that is not my favorite plot point.
I enjoyed the way Buscemi lightly connected the events of recent history to what is in this story. No specifics are revealed, but the hints the author gives are palpable. But there is space for the reader to draw their own conclusions. I didn't feel pressured to think one way or another, but I did have to stop and think along the way, which is something a good book should do.
While this story would seem to be based on an old trope, a government that controls thought through the destruction of contrary literature, there is much more to it than that. My takeaway from Intersection Thirteen is the story as more of a hero's journey than anything. Mira grows as the tale unfolds. She goes from a young girl who loses everything to finding a calling that could affect an entire planet if successful.
I recommend Intersection Thirteen as an entertaining story with great characters who are on a quest to make their world a better place. Considering recent history, this story can also be thought provoking and seem somewhat relevant. But in the end, it is just good sci-fi and well worth a look.
Buscemi is a skilled writer. Not only does he create excellent characters, the settings are also colorful and read as wonders to behold. I loved the way the story went from Mira finding a place where it seems all her problems were solved, only to find more problems cropping up. The story is exciting and moves at a good pace and will hold a reader's interest.
All around, Intersection Thirteen is a well crafted, fun, and thoughtful story with a heavy dose of imagination.
Intersection Thirteen is a brilliantly written sci-fi/speculative fiction story set in the distant future. Buscemi uses a familiar trope for the backdrop of this tale; what happens when the government eliminates access to knowledge and philosophy to control the masses. In this case, though, the story goes much farther than a rehashing of Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451.
I enjoyed this story for its entertainment value and for the way the author didn't complicate his story with a lot of technical jargon. The story follows the principal character the entire time and includes a small cast of supporting characters that all contribute in their own ways.
I loved the way the Buscemi developed the principal character by unveiling her backstory little-by-little through the entire book. It really brought her to life for me and helped with my understanding of her motivations.
According to the author, in the future, unspecified events lead up to a dystopian situation in which access to works of fiction and philosophy are banned and eliminated. The population will be relegated to a subsistence existence barely able to maintain a comfortable lifestyle. Drones in the air and on the ground constantly survey people as they go about their lives and rules are enforced by thugs that use harsh methods as enforcement. There are many dangers on the Earth of our universe.
The people of the future, according to Intersection Thirteen, have learned how to travel through interdimensional space and visit other Earths. A small group of individuals have made it their business to visit these other places to collect works of fiction and philosophy, hoping, one day, people will once again have access to the wonders of the past as presented through literature.
Mira, the point-of-view character, takes her small ship to the parallel earths on a journey to find and bring banned literature back to her planet and discovers an intersection carved out of interdimensional space. On the surface, it seems she has found a place where benevolence abounds. She discovers a vast library where she finds everything she is looking for. But as she learns, everything is not what it seems and there are secrets many would not like to come to light.
Principal character Mira Rous, loves literature and has made it her mission to be a part of a small group of individuals calling themselves the Reconstructionists. Their mission is to travel between dimensions and bring back banned literature to a world under the control of powers that want to control the thinking of the populace. She is driven to do this because of her experience growing up.
Mira is a thoughtful character, and we get her story in the past and present simultaneously through the story. Her character development is excellent and she quickly becomes someone the reader can care for and invest themselves in.
As an avid reader myself, I can appreciate Mira's plight, but that is not my favorite plot point.
I enjoyed the way Buscemi lightly connected the events of recent history to what is in this story. No specifics are revealed, but the hints the author gives are palpable. But there is space for the reader to draw their own conclusions. I didn't feel pressured to think one way or another, but I did have to stop and think along the way, which is something a good book should do.
While this story would seem to be based on an old trope, a government that controls thought through the destruction of contrary literature, there is much more to it than that. My takeaway from Intersection Thirteen is the story as more of a hero's journey than anything. Mira grows as the tale unfolds. She goes from a young girl who loses everything to finding a calling that could affect an entire planet if successful.
I recommend Intersection Thirteen as an entertaining story with great characters who are on a quest to make their world a better place. Considering recent history, this story can also be thought provoking and seem somewhat relevant. But in the end, it is just good sci-fi and well worth a look.
Buscemi is a skilled writer. Not only does he create excellent characters, the settings are also colorful and read as wonders to behold. I loved the way the story went from Mira finding a place where it seems all her problems were solved, only to find more problems cropping up. The story is exciting and moves at a good pace and will hold a reader's interest.
All around, Intersection Thirteen is a well crafted, fun, and thoughtful story with a heavy dose of imagination.
November 23, 2023
I really enjoyed this science fiction adventure. You follow Mira who belongs to a group called The Reconstructionists who travel to different worlds collecting and downloading literature which has been banned on their Earth. It is a death sentence. It was very easy to imagine the individual worlds from Matthew's descriptions and become immersed in the story (Being a bookseller this filled me with horror). I felt there could have been more action and less politics but don't let that put you off.
Thank you to Booksirens and Matthew Buscemi for my ARC ebook.
Thank you to Booksirens and Matthew Buscemi for my ARC ebook.
October 1, 2022
What if books are the key to a better world??
This is a very interesting story right here! After reading Matthew's other work The Others, I got the feeling that his writing style is very thorough and politically driven! And I believe I'm not wrong here!
Intersection Thirteen is a medium-to-hard sci-fi political story revolving around a community of people who find themselves oopressed by their governments and so they resist it and form a group that focuses on retrieving the long lost literature that the government destroyed!
Books are the center of it all! Matthew Buscemi focuses his story around them and how important they are to society and to human development!! You'll see a lot of classic writers mentioned and it'll make you research them for sure!!
Another focus that I perceived is how the government of the metaxic planes that the main character finds deals with a crisis! As a matter of fact... It resembles a lot like our Earth is trying to deal with the whole COVID ordeal! In a way, it diminished a small amount of my interest on the story, just because I'm a bit sick of hearing about COVID, at this one was ringing very close to home! It wasn't a disease nor a virus in the story but still...
Overall it's an interesting story, full of sci-fi terms that might scare a newcomer to the genre, but it's easy to follow! Various thriller elements that'll leave you gripping the story all the time!
Mira is a great character full of personality and rather relatable! The world itself that we see is amazing, very detailed and beautiful, and full of life and people we can relate to!
In the end, a very heart warming finale! Makes you want to know how the group is doing now!
Thanks to the author and BookSirens for allowing me to read this story!
This e-book was freely given to me through BookSirens in exchange for an honest review!
This is a very interesting story right here! After reading Matthew's other work The Others, I got the feeling that his writing style is very thorough and politically driven! And I believe I'm not wrong here!
Intersection Thirteen is a medium-to-hard sci-fi political story revolving around a community of people who find themselves oopressed by their governments and so they resist it and form a group that focuses on retrieving the long lost literature that the government destroyed!
Books are the center of it all! Matthew Buscemi focuses his story around them and how important they are to society and to human development!! You'll see a lot of classic writers mentioned and it'll make you research them for sure!!
Another focus that I perceived is how the government of the metaxic planes that the main character finds deals with a crisis! As a matter of fact... It resembles a lot like our Earth is trying to deal with the whole COVID ordeal! In a way, it diminished a small amount of my interest on the story, just because I'm a bit sick of hearing about COVID, at this one was ringing very close to home! It wasn't a disease nor a virus in the story but still...
Overall it's an interesting story, full of sci-fi terms that might scare a newcomer to the genre, but it's easy to follow! Various thriller elements that'll leave you gripping the story all the time!
Mira is a great character full of personality and rather relatable! The world itself that we see is amazing, very detailed and beautiful, and full of life and people we can relate to!
In the end, a very heart warming finale! Makes you want to know how the group is doing now!
Thanks to the author and BookSirens for allowing me to read this story!
This e-book was freely given to me through BookSirens in exchange for an honest review!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews