21st Century Literature discussion
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Have You Read Any Novels That Succeed At Representing Modern Life? (3/2/25)
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Marc
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Mar 02, 2025 08:56AM
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it’s a little unnerving to realize this is where my head is, but the first book that came to mind for me was Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam and the second book was The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson
I come across relatively few such novels, but the ones that do it well really stick in my head. A few from a list that can get much longer if I start digging:Eugene Lim, Dear Cyborgs
Percival Everett, Telephone
Nate Lippens, Ripcord
The first one that came to mind was Wellness by Nathan Hill.
I would say that Sally Rooney does a great job capturing unmoored millennials in Dublin. Also No One Is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood, Assembly by Natasha Brown and Perfection by Vincenzo Latronico (just long listed for this years International Booker prizes) come to mind.
Assembly is such an interesting choice, Henk. Yes, I agree. I sort of went for the big apocalyptic novels to answer this question but the particularities of Assembly are so true to these times.
I agree with Lark about Assembly, Henk. I would not have thought of it myself yet it says so much about modern life in so stark and economical style.
Aphasia by Mauro Javier CárdenasDo You Remember Being Born? by Sean Michaels
And, going out on a limb...
Kaveena (civil war in a western African country, dictators, shadow power/rule, colonialism) by Boubacar Boris Diop
A Religious Orgy in Tennessee: A Reporter's Account of the Scopes Monkey Trial (non-fiction op-ed essays from 100 years ago during the Scopes trial that, unfortunately, feel like they could be written today) by H.L. Mencken
I'm going to go with Right after the Weather by Carol Anshaw .
21st Century Literature
Books mentioned in this topic
Universality (other topics)A Religious Orgy in Tennessee: A Reporter's Account of the Scopes Monkey Trial (other topics)
Kaveena (other topics)
Aphasia (other topics)
Do You Remember Being Born? (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Natasha Brown (other topics)Sean Michaels (other topics)
Mauro Javier Cárdenas (other topics)
Boubacar Boris Diop (other topics)
H.L. Mencken (other topics)
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