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

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 readers 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

Is there a singularity in my head?

What is happening? Are we human or are we dancer? The end sort of but not really brings things together which I guess might be the point. I enjoyed the narration, especially from a non-white perspective, and I very much respect the creativity of the story; it just didn’t come together for me in the way that I had hoped.

Loved it

I'm not a pandemic loving person but this book and The Fireman are 2 of my favorites. I don't care for stories with more than 2 narrators but every chapter is a different story and requires a different voice. The only bad thing I can say is I got lost in the time line a couple of times but quickly got right back on. I purchased this as a daily deal but would gladly have spent a credit or paid full price. It is a great story, and an easy read/listen. I will definitely be reading more from this author.

Wow … great story could not stop ,, even when I needed to

Great book … but so sad & then uplifting at the same time !! Wish it was a bit longer would have liked to know more about the end chapters , but sometimes it’s better left to the imagination right ? But be warned … most of the book is very deep , sad & has a lot of death in in 😢😢as someone who has experienced the ultimate loss , a child , the beginning of the books was honestly almost too much to take … and I needed a break .. but in the end this is one of the better sci fi dystopian books I have read in a very long time … yes , a little bit of wokeness in here but not too much ! Well worth you time !

Surprising

I believe I got this title on a Deal of the Day. Did not know what to expect. But I found that itt conveyed a variety of emotions as we travel through time/the ages, weaving the different stories together with common characters and tying it all together at the end. I really enjoyed it and will recommend it. Also, I will have to probably listen to it again just to apply what I have learned from the latter parts of the book. Definitely relevant right now.

I will not be the same.

I never feel the need to elaborate beyond my star reviews, but I feel like it’s very important to say that this was one of the most amazing audiobooks. I’ve ever listen to in my life the plot is incredible. The narrators are wonderful. I’m absolutely dumbfounded at how beautiful this story is. I also really enjoyed the fact that a lot of it is based in the bay area, which is where I grew up so there was a bit of nostalgia mixed in as well - kudos to the whole team in charge of making this audiobook, and of course, the author who should win awards for this incredible story.