Memories. — A Definition by Examples. — Content Notes. — Selling Without Telling. — A Challenge.
Today I want to tell you about books with great twists; but how do I tell you about books with great hooks without…spoiling things?
A brief digression: Connie Willis’ To Say Nothing of the Dog is one of my all-time favorite books. My dad and I read it together in the late 90’s (My parents and I read together almost until I was in high school. Less, of course, than when I was younger, but still — my dad favored science fiction; my mom chose a wide array of classic literature, with a smattering of feminist fantasy. They would trade off nights making slow progress on our respective books). I’m sure TSNOTD will make it onto a list at some point1, but for today, I wanted to talk to you about the chapter headings.
There, before you even get to the story proper, she’s “spoiled” the whole chapter! This, I learned later, is called a synoptic heading — a technique that’s largely a callback to 19th century literature (in Willis’ case, to Jerome K Jerome’s Three Men In A Boat).
Cormac McCarthy used them as an homage to/subversion of Western literary traditions (they create a very specific kind of ironic voice, when done well — a kind of wry story-god guiding and judging the narrative).
Anyway, this is a long digression to explain that, when I started to make this list (books with great twists), I quickly realized that any normal description of the titles I wanted to include would undermine the very reasons I was putting together the list! So instead, I’ve endeavored to write synoptic headings for each of them.
A note on content notes in the footnotes2
EVERSION by Alastair Reynolds science fiction/horror, finished in one sitting
Life was indeed a continuous lesson in finding ways to be less troubled by certain things, so that we might make room for new concerns, which arrived with the promptness and regularity of mail coaches.
Trepanning. — Consequences of Exploring Fjords with Ahab-like captains. — Artifacts, Airships, & Why Does She Keep Goading Me? — Books Within Books. — Big Dumb Object. — An Unending Maw. — All Is Not As It Appears. — All Are Not Who They Appear. — Sacrifice & Companionship.
WRONG PLACE, WRONG TIME by Gillian McAllister thriller, finished in one sitting3
We only think of the bad things that happen, rather than those that, through fortune, pass us by.
Murder. — Butterfly effect. — Unraveling of a Crime (& Life?). — The Fruit, Then Flower, Then Bud, Then Stalk, Then Seed, In That Order. — Could It Have Been Different? And At What Cost?
THE LIGHT BRIGADE by Kameron Hurley science fiction, finished in two sittings
War was all about the annihilation of truth. Every good dictator and CEO knows that.
Earth versus Mars. — Patriotism As Motivator for Military Service. — Class As Motivator for Military Service. — The Bodies of Soldiers In Relation To Country. — The Bodies of Soldiers In Relation To Each Other. — PTSD After Being Broken Into Light. — Following Orders & The Consequences. — Whose Orders To Follow? — The Bodies of Soldiers in Relation To Time.
There’s another echo between these three, but I can’t tell you without spoiling them…
What are your favorite books with great twists? My last few reads have been beautiful but not particular twisty, and I’d love to add some more twisty books to by TBR.
“Everything Clicks Into Place”? Or perhaps “Still Makes Me Laugh”?
A note on content notes: The books on this list all include violence (murder), and some include visceral horror (I wouldn’t quite call it “body horror”). Please take care of yourself, and look up more specific spoilers/content notes if you have other concerns!
This is not one of my normal genres, but it came highly recommended, and I was glad I read it without reading any jacket copy first!
I love this, and I love synoptic headings! (I bet they are super fun to write?) To Say Nothing of the Dog is one of my faves, too. A couple of other twisty ones I really like are The English Understand Wool by Helen DeWitt, and Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson.