Square³

by Mira Grant

We think we understand the laws of physics. We think reality is an immutable monolith, consistent from one end of the universe to the next. We think the square/cube law has actual relevance.

We think a lot of things. It was perhaps inevitable that some of them would turn out to be wrong.

When the great incursion occurred, no one was prepared. How could they have been? Of all the things physicists had predicted, “the fabric of reality might rip open and giant monsters could come pouring through” had not made the list. But somehow, on a fine morning in May, that was precisely what happened.

For sisters Susan and Katharine Black, the day of the incursion was the day they lost everything. Their home, their parents, their sense of normalcy…and each other, because when the rift opened, Susan was on one side and Katharine was on the other, and each sister was stranded in a separate form of reality. For Susan, it was science and study and the struggle to solve the mystery of the altered physics inside the zones transformed by the incursion. For Katharine, it was monsters and mayhem and the fight to stay alive in a world unlike the world of her birth.

The world has changed. The laws of physics have changed. The girls have changed. And the one universal truth of all states of changed matter is that nothing can be completely restored to what it was originally, no matter how much you might wish it could be.

Nothing goes back.

Genres: Horror, Science Fiction, Novella, Fiction, Fantasy, Audiobook, Adult

112 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 31, 2021

About the author

Mira also writes as Seanan McGuire.

Born and raised in Northern California, Mira Grant has made a lifelong study of horror movies, horrible viruses, and the inevitable threat of the living dead. In college, she was voted Most Likely to Summon Something Horrible in the Cornfield, and was a founding member of the Horror Movie Sleep-Away Survival Camp, where her record for time survived in the Swamp Cannibals scenario remains unchallenged.

Mira lives in a crumbling farmhouse with an assortment of cats, horror movies, comics, and books about horrible diseases. When not writing, she splits her time between travel, auditing college virology courses, and watching more horror movies than is strictly good for you. Favorite vacation spots include Seattle, London, and a large haunted corn maze just outside of Huntsville, Alabama.

Mira sleeps with a machete under her bed, and highly suggests that you do the same.

Reviews

[destiny ♡ howling libraries · Rating 5 out of 5]

One moment, everything was normal. The next, physics and mathematics were negotiable things, and the supposed laws that had always governed biology were shattered beyond all repair.

This is a story about breaking rules, which is ironic, because it broke one of my rules as a reader. Generally speaking, I don't read a lot of sci-fi, and what I do read is what you'd consider Sci-Fi Lite™️. I like stories set in space, the future, etc., but if you start bringing mathematics and physics and particles and atoms into the writing, I'll usually zone out pretty quickly. (I'm working on it, but it's slow progress.) Leave it to Mira Grant to somehow include those things in a story and still keep me nothing less than 100% engaged from start to finish.

Her masters had created a world where their own citizens couldn't trust them to help without trying to take over, where their primary goal after a world-changing natural disaster was not "how can we use this tragedy to make the world better" but "how can we use this to kill people more effectively?"

What's more, though, is that this is a story about failing government systems, people being forgotten and taken advantage of by the powers that be, and the impossibility of humanity thriving under the fists of capitalism and war. Perhaps that's part of why I loved this book so much, and why it resonated so deeply with me: it's a book written during a pandemic, referencing the pandemic and aftereffects of it, and at times, it points a jaded finger at a government that sat idly by and pursued money while its citizens died and chaos erupted — all while bearing an underlying tone of resentment that I feel in my bones, just like the author (if you follow her tweets as closely as I do, you already know).

No, the monsters weren't coming from Evanston this time. They were in Chicago, they were in the government, they were in tailored suits and boardrooms, making plans about people and profit.

And, at the end of the day, it's a story about monsters, too. From the insidious suit-and-tie wearing ones all the way to the big, otherworldly ones. It's a horrific, infuriating, painful, sometimes heart-warming story, wrapped up in Mira's distinct, beautiful, clever writing, and I loved every single page of it.

✨ Representation: Katherine is autistic; Harris is queer

✨ Content warnings for: violence, gore, death, murder, gun violence, kidnapping, child endangerment, war

———
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[karen]

okay, i did it, and i am not losing any sleep over my decision. it's already halfway sold out, and they've just posted a (tiny) excerpt here.

*************************************

i love mira grant, but i can barely follow the description of this one, DO I SPEND FORTY DOLLARS YES OR NO??!!??

Limited: 1250 signed numbered hardcover copies: $40

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice science fiction/horror story that begins in a post-pandemic 2022 that suffers a sudden breaching of dimensional barriers causing havoc and mayhem to be unleashed. It tells the story of two sisters who find themselves on opposite sides of the barrier and how they come together despite manic muons, crazy kaiju, and the short-sighted efforts of the industrial/military establishment to weaponize children who have been changed by the events. It's a fun Stranger Things or '80's X-Men kind of story, with perhaps a bit more female empowerment. The book is divided into seven chapters, which are labeled #'s 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, and 49, and I found that a little bewildering, so perhaps there's more that went over my head. It's a fast paced and well written story in any event.

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Square 3
by Mira Grant
Short but good. A rift happens and creatures creep through part of the world. Two sisters are separated in this divided world. Children in one section have special gifts that the government wants to use as weapons. Good story!

[Trish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mira Grant is the alter ego of Seanan McGuire. Apparently, she uses this pen name when she writes scifi/horror stuff.

17 years ago, there was an incursion where rifts opened and monsters came out. Weird optimal stuff happened, driving a lot of people to suicide. Sisters Susan and Katharine ended up on two different sides of one such rift in the fabric of reality.
Now, Susan is a government-employed scientist while Katherine has successfully fought for her life in an alternate world.

If the premise sounds like a mix between Lovecraftian stories and Pacific Rim, you're on the right track.

This might be a novella, but it was full of funny pop-culture references, creepy stuff and things that go bump not just in the night.

Seriously, the altered laws of physics (and biology) were awesome and I loved the worldbuilding even more than the characters. In general, I loved the story so much, I wished Netflix was making a show about this.

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up

This is what I want from a sci-fi novella! It's fun, fast-paced, and intriguing with a sense of a larger world. I think it's gutsy to write a dystopian sci-fi with alternate dimensions set in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it also gives the novella a greater sense of realism. This is about twin sisters separated by a disaster of epic proportions. I won't say more that that, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one. The audio narration is excellent as well. I received an audio review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

[Schizanthus Nerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

One moment, nature had laws and generally followed them, unenforced and unpoliced. One moment, everything was normal. The next, physics and mathematics were negotiable things, and the supposed laws that had always governed biology were shattered beyond all repair.

Seventeen year old Katharine and her fourteen year old sister, Susan, are almost close enough to one another when the incursion happens. Almost.

Now an adult, Susan works in “rift physics”, the world she knew as a child changed in ways her and other scientists are still trying to come to grips with. Katharine, meanwhile, is on the other side of the rift. Susan doesn’t even know if her sister is still alive. That side of the rift is where the monsters came from, after all.

“Sometimes you have to be inside a thing to understand it”

I preordered this book in May 2021 and may have accidentally burned the cover image into my brain since then. It had me expecting more monsters per page than I actually encountered but the monsters I met were well worth the anticipation.

I loved Katharine and Susan and the ways they looked after one another as kids. I loved the science and how easily I believed all of this was not only possible but potentially imminent.

Just in case this novella winds up in the non fiction section, it’s been really nice knowing you. No matter which side of the rift I end up on, it’s practically a certainty that I’m a goner. Maybe I’ll be too mesmerised by the impossible colours to notice the monsters. Maybe I’ll be too curious about the possibilities of the other side of the rift. Maybe I’ll irritate the wrong kid.

“Should I be alarmed?”
“It won’t change anything if you are, so I wouldn’t bother wasting the time if I were you.”

Bonus points for the delightfully appropriate chapter numbering and Susan’s Project title.

Now, if someone would please commission a companion novella written from Katharine’s point of view or a sequel, I’d be a really happy soon to be squished, melted or otherwise mangled rift casualty. And if that could happen some time in the next, oh, 130 days, that’d be awesome.

Heads up: the incursion happens on 16 May 2022. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

“This is a safety light!”

Blog - https://schizanthusnerd.com

[Julia Sarene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Square3 by Mira Grant is a very quick story I devoured in one afternoon.

At the start I didn't really know where it was going, but was easily drawn by the narrative voice.

The farther I got the less I knew what was actually going on, as everything I learned opened 5 new questions - but in the good way! It is thought provoking and fascinating to try to find out what happened to the world, and the characters.

Aside from the setting, the characters were definitely my main draw, and I must say it didn't feel like a novella to me, but like a way longer novel, the way I got a feel for them and the world. This is in my eyes always the mark of a great short format, if it doesn't feel "short" but perfectly right.

[Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars for Square3 (audiobook) Mira Grant read by Rachel F. Hirsch.

Sisters and separated as the fabric of the universe is ripped apart. One sister struggles to understand the bizarre physics in this new strange world and the other sister gets to deal with monsters and leaning to live in a world of mayhem.

[Dev · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent story with an interesting premise and I'll always read anything Seanan writes but I think that either I'm getting the point where I'm not enjoying novellas very much or she's getting worse at writing them because usually I feel like she does a really good job fitting a lot of information and character development into a small page space but everything just felt incredibly rushed here to me. Love the bones of this story but it really just left me wanting more at every turn and I would have loved to be able to take some time and get to know the characters and the world more.

[Matthew Galloway · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm just going to keep this review short because it's a slim novella without a ton to explore. Which isn't a criticism. This focuses on one real idea and explores it well. However, that idea is NOT kaiju or other monsters, really, other than the human kind. That made it hard for me to realize that I really was enjoying the book at first -- the description and cover had me so ready for giant critter mayhem that is pretty minimal and tangential to the actual plot.

[Rian *fire and books* · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I told you so.”

This is my favorite of the Mira Grant novella’s I’ve read and probably my second favorite after Into the Drowning Deep.

This was compulsively readable, fresh, exciting, and delightful. I want more of this.

[Roz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somehow this felt more like a Seanan McGuire novella than a Mira Grant one and I like her MG stuff more.

[Omar Iquira · Rating 4 out of 5]

LE DOY 4 ESTRELLAS PORQUE FUSIONA BIEN EL GÉNERO DE CIENCIA FICCIÓN, MONSTRUOS TIPO KAIJUS, Y DRAMA. Y PORQUE AUNQUE BREVEMENTE, UNO SE ENCARIÑA MUCHO CON LOS PERSONAJES Y SU HISTORIA... SOLO ME HUBIERA GUSTADO QUE FUERA UN LIBRO MÁS GRANDE.

En una mañana de mayo, los tejidos de la realidad se desgarran y enormes monstruos emergen desde un lúgubre otro mundo. Estas incursiones provocan la aparición de zonas geográficas deformadas y peligrosas a lo largo de todo el mundo, llamadas "Las Zonas de Exclusión". Ese mismo día, las hermanas Susan y Katharine Black pierden lo todo. Su hogar, sus padres y lo más importante, la una a la otra, cuando quedan atrapadas en realidades distintas. Desde entonces, Susan se evoca en investigar que pasó realmente ese día, todo con el deseo de volver a encontrase con su hermana. Pero años de búsqueda e investigación no la acercan a la verdad que tanto busca... hasta que cierto día el pasado toca a su puerta.

Esa es básicamente, la premisa de esta novela corta de la autora Mira Grant. Una historia en donde se la ciencia ficción, el horror cósmico y el drama, se fusionan para dar origen a una historia interesante y muy entretenida. Este libro es sumamente corto (se puede leer en un día si tienes tiempo). Pero no por eso es malo. Todo lo contrario, cumple con capturar al lector desde su primera página, y no te suelta hasta el mismísimo final.

Supongo que se le podría calificar en cierta medida como; ciencia ficción dura. Porque aborda temas como física de partículas, física cuántica, la cosmología y la física de altas energía. Pero no crean que es difícil de entender. Algo de lo más agradable de esta lectura, es que aborda dichos temas de una manera bastante directa y simple. Así que el lector no se siente abrumado o superado en ningún momento por los términos científicos y las teorías que se presentan. Ya dicho eso, supongo que aquellos que están acostumbrados a leer ciencia ficción de este tipo se sentirán un poco más a gusto que los que no. Pero a final de cuentas, creo que cualquiera puede disfrutar de este libro.

Quizás, esto se deba en gran medida a la profundidad de los personajes. Aunque las conocemos por poco tiempo, las hermanas; Susan y Katharine Black, se vuelven entrañables desde la primera pagina. Su relación, su pasado, su historia, y el amor que tiene una por la otra se plasma de manera magistral en la novela. La autora nos describe la relación entre las hermanas muy bien, pero sin extenderse más de la cuenta. Y uno no puede evitar sentirse conmovido al enterarse como ellas se separan... y lo hacen para volver a encontrarse.

El tema de las "Las Zonas de Exclusión", que son lugares desde donde emergen los monstruos, representa la parte de acción y aventura de la historia. En estas zonas las leyes de la física cambian, y también la biología de la vida animal, vegetal, y la de los seres humanos en general. Todo esto se conjuga para darnos un panorama de poderes extraños, terror cósmico, y criaturas monstruosas. Que cambia la realidad de toda la sociedad de nuestro planeta y que nos obliga a hacer lo que siempre hemos hecho... adaptarnos para sobrevivir.

La novela adopta el estilo del cómic de mediados de siglo XX, con acción de ritmo frenético, monstruos colosales y dimensiones desgarradas, todo condimentado con una dosis de crítica política y conspirativa (porque la autora no pierde la oportunidad de criticar a los gobiernos de las así llamadas; superpotencias mundiales, en tiempos de crisis). Y en este tema quiero hacer énfasis, porque a media lectura empecé a pensar que esta historia se vería excelente si se convirtiera en un comic. "Susan, atrapada en un mundo que ya no reconoce, se convierte en investigadora científica en busca de su hermana Katharine, quien sobrevive en un territorio caótico y peligroso lleno de monstruos". Díganme si no suena a la sinopsis de un comic... e incluso tal vez de película o serie de televisión.

A final de cuentas, el enfoque del libro es quizás más espectacular que profundamente lógico, lo que resulta en una lectura rápida y entretenida. Especialmente si el lector ajusta su expectativa hacia una aventura acelerada y visceral. Pero creo de todo corazón que cualquiera que lo lea disfrutará la experiencia. El final es bastante abierto diría yo, lo que me da esperanzas que Mira Grant haga una secuela en el futuro... Solo queda esperar y cruzar los dedos.

Lectura buena, rápida, divertida y que toca el corazón.
La recomiendo mucho.

[Sam (she_who_reads_) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not entirely sure I’m smart enough to have fully grasped everything that was going on with this one, but man did I still enjoy myself!

[Brok3n · Rating 3 out of 5]

Square-Cube Laws conspicuously absent

Here's how the publisher's blurb for Square³ begins:

We think we understand the laws of physics. We think reality is an immutable monolith, consistent from one end of the universe to the next. We think the square/cube law has actual relevance.

We think a lot of things. It was perhaps inevitable that some of them would turn out to be wrong.

I'd like to take a moment to appreciate what a great intro that is for a book. But not THIS book. It is not even slightly relevant to what's inside Square³.

The rest of the blurb, thankfully, is better. It's a pretty good summary of the plot, and I will not repeat it. Like many Mira Grant stories (Mira Grant is of course a pen-name of Seanan McGuire's, but the books she publishes as Mira Grant have a distinctive character), this one is centered an a relationship between two people who love each other. In this case it is a pair of sisters, Susan and Katharine Black, who are separated from each other by an extradimensional incursion 16-May-2022. (I read this 8-Aug-2022, and noted with relief that the date of the predicted tragedy had already passed without incident. Presumably we are now safe.)

Like most Mira Grant stories, this one contains a super-obnoxious scientist cosplayer (the aforementioned Susan Black) and a gigantic government conspiracy. I enjoyed the read, but less than most of McGuire's work. It all seemed very sketchy, not well thought out. The relationship of the sisters was the best part, but fairly minor in the sense that most of the words and pages concern other things.

Just for the Hell of it, since square/cubed laws appear nowhere in the book outside the publisher's blurb, here's what they are. There is no such thing as "THE square/cube law", rather, there are a bunch of them. They are the reason that you can't have giants. For instance, the physical strength of a limb (such as a leg) goes as the square of its linear size, i.e. as "size times size". The weight of a body goes as the cube of the linear size, i.e. "size times size times size". If you take any animal, for instance a human, and scale it up proportionately, the weight increases much faster than the strength. Like, a person twice as big as normal would weigh eight times normal, but be four times as strong as normal. So a giant human would collapse. (In actual fact, very tall people have serious health problems.) The largest animal that has ever lived is the blue whale (yes, bigger than dinosaurs) -- it survives in part because it lives in water and doesn't need to support its weight. There are similar relationships for respiration -- the amount of oxygen you need goes as the cube of size, while your ability to taken in oxygen from the air goes as the square of size. Dinosaurs were possible in part because there was more oxygen in the air in the Cretaceous. For flying animals, lift goes as square of size, while weight, as already stated, goes as the square. Thus animals with true flight are relatively small.

Some giant monsters make a brief appearance in Square³. I suppose, in a pinch McGuire could point to that to justify the title.

Blog review.

[☕️Kimberly (Caffeinated Reviewer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great incursion occurred, ripping the fabric of our existence. From those rips monsters broke through. Now the areas are quarantined and heavily guarded. Anything that comes out dies, as does anything that goes in. When the incursion occurred, Susan and Katharine Black were separated. Susan made it out, but their home & parents did not. Now Susan works for the government, studying the altered physics of these zones. Humans live within the zone, but are also altered. Susan has never given up hope that her sister, Katherine is among them.

The tale that unfolds held me captive from the beginning. Grant is a master at world-building and creating a reality that feels grounded in science. When a camera picks up a signal, Susan races to the containment area and what she discovers will forever change her. I found myself invested in the characters, and curious for more of this world.

Of course mankind tries to use this incurion to their advantage against world powers. Will we ever learn? I did not want the story to end and image there are more stories to be told. In truth, I would have enjoyed a full-length version of this tale.

An exciting and riveting tale, perfect for a snowy weekend or day trip. Rachel F. Hirsch did a wonderful job setting the tone and bringing the characters to life. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this for the 2024 Popsugar Challenge prompt #13 "a book originally published under a pen name".

This is a short but thought-provoking novela about the aftermath of a catastrophic event in which the world is split into two types of environments. The main character was separated from her sister at that time, and has been working ever since then to try to understand what happened to her sister. Suddenly her sister is able to signal her and she begins to try to help rescue her niece and nephew. The physics in the plot is pretty much above my head, but the rest of it was interesting, although as usual I prefer longer and more fully fleshed out stories (my personal hang-up, no reflection on this book). 3.5 stars

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting and chilling - I'm tempted to sit back down and read it again immediately. I think the cats and dogs will stick with me most - and the colors.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d love some more in this world! That was a blast.

[GҽɱɱαSM · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.1*
Una explosió literària de precisió i sentiment. En només 144 pàgines, Grant trenca la realitat en separar dues germanes través d'una escissió dimensional i llançar-les a mons paral·lels oposats. Grant combina horror i ciència amb una profunditat emocional insòlita, convertint un concepte complex en una meditació commovedora sobre la pèrdua i allò que persisteix quan tot es desfà.

La narració equilibra la tensió intel·lectual amb el drama íntim, creant una experiència que traspassa les pàgines. Una lectura breu perfecta per qui cerca un terror intel·ligent i emocionalment potent.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mira Grant is a genius. I do not know how she does it but she can take scientific data and web it into such engaging stories - if you like Sci-fi of course ;)
What I love about her books- including Square 3- is that she makes the science referenced so sound, so believable that the story itself feels so real, feels so possible. This short story captivated me in science and in a sisters pursuit for truth.
The book begins with two sisters, Susan and Katherine (Kitty) who developed a "safety" signal which does end up significant as the world as they know it changes in an instant. Susan and Kitty are separated - unknown if the other is safe. Susan buries herself in studies, determined to find out everything she can about these mysteries rifts and monsters. Without giving any spoilers, the story follows Susan, her studies, the people around her and she is surprised at what she finds. Its truly a fantastic short sci-fi story of love and a bond between sisters regardless of time. If you've enjoyed other Mira Grant stories, this is another one to be sure to pick up.

ARC provided by netgalley. Thank you very much for the opportunity to devour this audiobook!

[Paul Preston · Rating 5 out of 5]

I perked up right at the start of listening to this. SQUARE3 by Mira Grant @seananmcguire had its hooks in me right from the beginning of this audiobook.
Two sisters were separated by mere feet when the incursion occurred, rifts opened in all the major cities of the world. Everything on the inside was devastated and nothing could enter the area without dying. New fields of physics were created to study and try to understand what happened. The only thing that was known was any pregnant woman who lived in the incursion areas gave birth to children with special abilities.
Years went by and everyone on the inside was believed to be dead, until a message came through.
As soon as I started listening to this I knew I needed a physical copy, however it only is available as a special edition from Subterranean Press. You can get an ebook and now the audiobook is available and it was so much fun. @rachelfhirsch does a fantastic job on the narration, she really brings this story to life.

[Noémie J. Crowley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un beau jour de 2022, plusieurs failles s'ouvrent à travers le monde, détruisant des villes entières, laissant entrer des monstres informes, et créant des "barrières", rendant impossible l'échange de personnes ou d'objets. Les lois de la physique changent du jour au lendemain ... Et Susan Black en a fait les frais.

Je dois dire ne pas être une fane de nouvelles, trouvant le format très frustrant. Ce livre, avec ses idées passionnantes, méritent d'être une trilogie de 500 pages chaque tellement il y aurai à développer. Du coup, c'est génial, mais pas assez ! J'en veux plus !
Sortez moi des pavés, please !

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Tantor Audio for this advance listener copy in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this novella. I actually wanted it to be longer. This is why I gave it four stars and not five. There was so much more information that I wanted, but didn't get. However, the premise and execution of this story were fantastic. I loved the science aspect. I wanted to know more about the Incursion. I wanted to know more about the children. I wanted more from Susan. I just wanted more. I finished this quickly as it grabbed me from the first line.

Fantastic narration. I would highly recommend this story. I hope eventually there will be more stories in this world.

[Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great science horror from Mira Grant

This is shorter than her usual work, but it packs a punch. This is post-pandemic the Before Times are gone fiction that imagines the world in fascinating and terrible ways. I don't want to spoil too much, so I won't detail plot or characters. Suffice it to say that everything follows logically as the world unfolds. The horrible inevitability of what people do and the absolute need to remain humane, rational and subversive are the very timely messages.

And I never trusted Pokemons. Not one little bit.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this - actually reminded me a little bit of Roadside Picnic in some ways. I did feel like I was expecting to find out more about the square-cube idea but it seemed a little bit like pseudo-science to me.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of neat quick little read.

[GiGi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting setup but its execution was childish and unrealistic.

The narrator's audible swallowing was jarring.

[Geekess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice concept, cute little novella. But it lacked the usual Mira Grant/Seanan McGuire oomph, sorry.
3 stars out of 5, barely.