Infinite Ground
'A totally original, surreal mystery' (Jeff VanderMeer) from the Booker Prize-listed author of In Ascension
Published on 4. May 2017
Book
Paperback/Softback
272 pages
978-1-78239-949-0 (ISBN)
Description
'Astonishing' Herald, Books of the Year
'Sublime' Irish Times, Book of the Year
'Wonderful' Guardian, Books of the Year
During a sweltering South American summer, a family convenes for dinner at a restaurant. Midway through the meal, Carlos disappears. An experienced, semi-retired inspector takes the case, but what should be a routine investigation becomes something strange, intangible, even sinister. The corporation for which Carlos worked seems to serve no purpose; the staff talk of their missing colleague's alarming, shifting physical symptoms; a forensic scientist uncovers evidence of curious abnormalities in the thriving microorganisms that shared Carlos's body. As the inspector relives and retraces the missing man's footsteps, the trail leads him away from the city sprawl and deep into the country's rainforest interior, where he encounters both horror and wonder.
'Sublime' Irish Times, Book of the Year
'Wonderful' Guardian, Books of the Year
During a sweltering South American summer, a family convenes for dinner at a restaurant. Midway through the meal, Carlos disappears. An experienced, semi-retired inspector takes the case, but what should be a routine investigation becomes something strange, intangible, even sinister. The corporation for which Carlos worked seems to serve no purpose; the staff talk of their missing colleague's alarming, shifting physical symptoms; a forensic scientist uncovers evidence of curious abnormalities in the thriving microorganisms that shared Carlos's body. As the inspector relives and retraces the missing man's footsteps, the trail leads him away from the city sprawl and deep into the country's rainforest interior, where he encounters both horror and wonder.
Reviews / Votes
Stunning - a totally original, surreal mystery shot through with hints of the best of Cesar Aira, Vladimir Nabokov, Angela Carter, and Julio Cortazar. Smart, clever, and honest. I doubt you've read anything quite like it. -- Jeff VanderMeer, author of The Southern Reach trilogy Weird, wonderful, totally indefinable * Guardian, Books of the Year * Sublime * Irish Times, Books of the Year * Astonishing * Herald, Books of the Year * An electrifying piece of work: strange, terrifying, riveting, and written with scintillating intelligence. In its thinking about the porosity between the human and the non-human, it stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Ballard, Lem, VanderMeer, Tom McCarthy -- Neel Mukherjee, author of The Lives of Others This is the work of a most singular and inventive mind, matched by writing with real flair and clarity. It is a book alive with ideas and cock-eyed intelligence, brimming with passages of genuine brilliance. Infinite Ground does that magical thing that only the very best novels do: it makes you see the world afresh. Dazzling stuff -- Graeme Macrae Burnet, author of His Bloody Project Strange, haunting, dislocating -- Ian Rankin, author of the Rebus series Brimming with strong, startling ideas... A curious and often remarkable book * Literary Review * A novel of intelligence, grace, cunning and warped imagination, one that melds and sometimes clashes styles and influences to create something original and unsettling. It is a bravura performance, and one that announces Martin MacInnes as one of our most exciting new voices -- Stuart Evers, author of Your Father Sends his Love Labyrinthine, beautifully written and teeming with ideas about fiction and reality that linger long in the mind... A frighteningly good debut novel -- Lee Rourke, author of Vulgar ThingsMore details
Edition
Main
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 129 mm
Thickness: 17 mm
Weight
191 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78239-949-0 (9781782399490)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Martin MacInnes
Infinite Ground
'A totally original, surreal mystery' (Jeff VanderMeer) from the Booker Prize-listed author of In Ascension
E-Book
08/2016
Atlantic Books
€6.99
Available for download
Person
Martin MacInnes lives in Edinburgh, Scotland. His debut novel, Infinite Ground (2016), won the Somerset Maugham Award. His second novel, Gathering Evidence (2020), led to his inclusion in The National Centre for Writing/British Council's list of ten writers shaping the UK's future. His third novel, In Ascension (2023), was longlisted for the Booker Prize and has been optioned for film. He is published in 10 languages, and is the winner of a Manchester Fiction Prize and a Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award.