#robin sloan

Book #105 of 2018:

Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

I wanted to be drawn in by this novel about a secret society operating out of a used bookstore, but I ended up rather put off by the tech bro vibe of its protagonist. There’s a lot of casual sexism in how he and the text frame various female characters, and way too much focus on his friend’s company that models the physics of moving breasts for video games. The plot also kind of falls apart as the story goes on, and all of the awkwardly-inserted teaching moments about things like Mechanical Turk resemble the worst writing tendencies of Cory Doctorow (or even, less charitably, Dan Brown).

In the end I feel like there are many elements in this story that I could have liked, had they been developed by another author instead. But I think this first book I’ve read from Robin Sloan will also be my last.

★★☆☆☆

Sourdough 

by Robin Sloan

When everyone says what foods they’d give up if they were forced to, is your response, “But not bread; I could never give up carbs”? Do you find the smell of fresh-baked bread intoxicating and the idea of marrying a baker dangerous? Also, do you kinda believe in magic though you might not admit it when the lights are on? Or did you read Mr. Penumbra’s 24 Bookstore and think it was an extra stroke of genius to have a book that actually glows in the dark? (Did you know that it glows in the dark? You can go try it out; I’ll wait.)

If any of this applies to you, then you are going to want a full helping of Robin Sloan’s newest novel, Sourdough. If the holy loaf on the cover isn’t enticement enough, you’ll fall quickly for the quirky intelligent protagonist, Lois, a recent transplant to the west coast who lives off of nutritive gel and attends meetings of a club of women who share her name. An overworked engineer, she has no time for proper food. One day, a mysterious take-out menu slips under her door and before she knows it, she is eating their “Spicy Spicy” — really their only menu option —  morning, noon and night, and the new food not only satisfies her beleaguered belly, but also changes her entire state of being.

Then, abruptly, the brothers who run the takeout shop get deported, but not before leaving her with the magical and fickle secret sourdough starter that has been in their family forever. So begins Lois’ decent into the world of bread ovens, competitive San Francisco farmers markets and underground genetic food modification. Not to mention an “it’s complicated” relationship with a yeast that is somehow — possibly scientifically, possible magically — very alive.

It’s warm and well-constructed, buoyant and satisfying - and just the right size. Just how I like my sourdough. Oh, and the book is pretty tasty too.

*B3 received a Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.