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Book Recommendation: ‘The Seep’ by Chana Porter

Recommended by GRACE JOHNSON, Peninsula Pulse staff member and bibliophile

Have you ever read a book that makes you think, “What the heck did I just read?” Yeah, this is one of those – but in the best possible way.

Trina Goldberg-Oneka is a trans woman whose life is irreversibly altered in the wake of a gentle – but nonetheless world-changing – invasion by an alien entity calling itself The Seep. Through The Seep, everything is connected. Capitalism falls; hierarchies and barriers are broken down. If something can be imagined, it is possible.

When Trina’s wife, Deeba, decides to be reborn as a baby using Seep-tech, she leaves a devastated Trina behind. Heartbroken and in an alcoholic binge, Trina ends up traversing the city, chasing after a young boy in an attempt to save him from The Seep.

Even after reading the description, I had no idea what to expect. This book made me all sorts of uncomfortable, but in a way that was … enjoyable? This is a very gritty, dark and bizarre look at what it means to be human. I strongly encourage any sci-fi reader to pick this up!