Mat Johnson is a Philip H. Knight Chair of the Humanities at the University of Oregon. His publications include the novels Loving Day and Pym, the nonfiction novella The Great Negro Plot, and the graphic novel Incognegro. Johnson is the recipient of the American Book Award, the United States Artists James Baldwin Fellowship, The Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, and the John Dos Passos Prize for Literature.
“Invisible Things is a science fiction novel with an eye on the
now. Mat Johnson’s latest book delivers a biting satire of
American politics and class issues—from the vantage point of outer
space. . . . Characters or events in his book call to
mind Kurt Vonnegut’s The Sirens of Titan and Cat’s Cradle; Ray
Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles, especially the story ‘Mars Is
Heaven!’; Robert A. Heinlein’s Stranger in a Strange Land . .
. various Twilight Zone episodes; and even the B-movie classic
Forbidden Planet, especially notable for its invisible ‘Monsters
from the Id.’ . . . [It’s] tempting to employ the language of
literary theory and dub Invisible Things an affectionate,
intertextual construct, one that draws on half the tropes of modern
sf. Still, awareness of echoes and borrowings merely
enriches an already exciting story.”—The Washington Post
“In the sense of being an intergalactic adventure, it’s a wild
departure for the author. But it’s also of a piece with work that’s
become instantly recognizable for its blend of satiric wit,
heavy underlying themes (including his own mixed-race origins) and
a stubborn undercurrent of optimism. You just know a Mat
Johnson novel when you read one. . . . Taking off from its wild
setup, the novel delivers belly laughs and gut punches in
quick succession. . . . Even if American society is turning
dystopian fiction into a sucker’s game, Invisible Things feels au
courant.”—Los Angeles Times
“In this biting comic allegory, Johnson (Pym) uses a space mission
gone awry to expose our preference for embracing mass denial over
grappling with distressing truths. . . . Johnson’s showstopping
finale reminds us how much we can accomplish if we dare to face
reality.”—Star Tribune
“This refreshing, stand-alone sci-fi novel is both surprisingly
funny and insightful in its exploration of group
dynamics.”—BuzzFeed
“The funny novel that doesn’t evaporate as you turn the page is
hard to pull off. So much so that I read Invisible Things waiting
for a crash that never came. . . . Mat Johnson, whose great novel
Pym took on Poe, is that good.”—Chicago Tribune
“Relentlessly cynical and sarcastic, Mat Johnson’s Invisible Things
offers sociopolitical commentary wrapped in the trappings of a
classic space adventure. . . . The intriguing mystery combined with
Johnson’s irreverent sense of humor makes it easy for the reader to
engage with the satirical elements—a refreshing trait given that
social commentary in modern sci-fi is often either watered down,
thrown in by default or both. Invisible Things is a wonderful
sci-fi ride full of lovable characters that dissects modern
American capitalism with a barbed, sardonic wit.”—BookPage (starred
review)
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