How High We Go in the Dark

A Novel

By: Sequoia Nagamatsu

Narrated by: Julia Whelan, Brian Nishii, Keisuke Hoashi, MacLeod Andrews, Jeanne Sakata, Greg Watanabe, Kurt Kanazawa, Matthew Bridges, Kotaro Watanabe, Brianna Ishibashi, Joe Knezevich, Micky Shiloah, Stephanie Komure, Jason Culp

Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW EDITORS' CHOICE • ROXANE GAY'S AUDACIOUS BOOK CLUB PICK • FINALIST FOR THE URSULA K. LE GUIN PRIZE

"Moving and thought-provoking . . . offering psychological insights in lyrical prose while seriously exploring speculative conceits." — New York Times Book Review

"Haunting and luminous . . . Beautiful and lucid science fiction. An astonishing debut." — Alan Moore, creator of Watchmen and V for Vendetta

Recommended by New York Times Book Review • Los Angeles Times • NPR • Washington Post • Wall Street Journal • Entertainment Weekly • Esquire • Good Housekeeping • NBC News • Buzzfeed • Goodreads • The Millions • The Philadelphia Inquirer • Minneapolis Star-Tribune • San Francisco Chronicle • The Guardian • and many more!

For fans of Cloud Atlas and Station Eleven, a spellbinding and profoundly prescient debut that follows a cast of intricately linked characters over hundreds of years as humanity struggles to rebuild itself in the aftermath of a climate plague—a daring and deeply heartfelt work of mind-bending imagination from a singular new voice.

In 2030, a grieving archeologist arrives in the Arctic Circle to continue the work of his recently deceased daughter at the Batagaika Crater, where researchers are studying long-buried secrets now revealed in melting permafrost, including the perfectly preserved remains of a girl who appears to have died of an ancient virus.

Once unleashed, the Arctic plague will reshape life on Earth for generations to come, quickly traversing the globe, forcing humanity to devise a myriad of moving and inventive ways to embrace possibility in the face of tragedy. In a theme park designed for terminally ill children, a cynical employee falls in love with a mother desperate to hold on to her infected son. A heartbroken scientist searching for a cure finds a second chance at fatherhood when one of his test subjects—a pig—develops the capacity for human speech. A widowed painter and her teenaged granddaughter embark on a cosmic quest to locate a new home planet.

From funerary skyscrapers to hotels for the dead to interstellar starships, Sequoia Nagamatsu takes listeners on a wildly original and compassionate journey, spanning continents, centuries, and even celestial bodies to tell a story about the resilience of the human spirit, our infinite capacity to dream, and the connective threads that tie us all together in the universe.

"Wondrous, and not just in the feats of imagination, which are so numerous it makes me dizzy to recall them, but also in the humanity and tenderness with which Sequoia Nagamatsu helps us navigate this landscape. . . . This is a truly amazing book, one to keep close as we imagine the uncertain future." — Kevin Wilson, New York Times bestselling author of Nothing to See Here

©2022 Sequoia Nagamatsu (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers

Entirety Different

This book appeared in my Audible Library. I do not remember purchasing it. The story that unfolds in many voices as the book is recited make the listening experience fascinating.

Listen now.

This was expensive, beautiful, ugly, generous, frank, and important. Crafted well and performed exceptionally.

Interesting and Creative

Overall I enjoyed the book but I couldn’t help think there were some political undertones. I felt that approach was unique and the threads of the stories meshed nicely.

Breath of fresh air

This book hit in a way very few do. Short stories that could stand on their own, yet, tie together. Brilliant.

Odd and inventive

This set of stories is extremely depressing and although set within a fictional future, it feels too close to reality. However, if you don’t mind the sad/darker aspects of the story and the heavier topics like euthanasia and loss then you’ll find something wonderful.

The characters all connect through the cosmos and constellations; there is a common thread that you’ll begin to anticipate and look forward to as you read or hear the story.

The initial chapters definitely made me think I was listening to a transcription of a Black Mirror episode; it’s odd and daring. If that’s a series you enjoyed that give this book a try. It’s unlike anything I’ve read before.

wow

Dude... What‽ this story is incredible. I jumped into it completely blind and I'm glad I did. it was great hearing the story unfold prom different perspectives in each chapter. Incredible ending. 10/10.

Need more at the end

I felt that the last part was a bit rushed but great overall book to listen to.

I loved it

This book was really twisted and bizarre with a creepy amount of overlap with our current global climate. I personally loved it and thought this author was so creative and inventive with this story. Incredibly well done…

this book stays rent free in your mind

overall a great book with different readers and stories, definitely recommend, will probably listen to it again

Weird read

There were parts of the book that I enjoyed and other parts that were a little too strange for my liking. If you’re into sci-fi, you might enjoy this book.

It jumps around a lot, with some overlapping and the ending ties some of the story together. Not a feel good read, but makes you think about what might happen if the world really gets that bad.