What I’m Reading: “Zoo City” by Lauren Beukes
I’d heard so much about this book, which won the Arthur C Clarke Award for Science Fiction in 2011, that it is very nice to be able to get into at last.
And so far, at between a third to half the way through, I’m enjoying the premise, which is that people who fall by the wayside in terms of (mainly) “crime”, end up with an animal familiar by way of “punishment.” The South African setting is interesting, although as someone who has never been there I have no way of assessing authenticity—but the author, Lauren Beukes, is South African so I’m assuming…
And so far, I am very much enjoying the “voice” of the protagonist, Zinzi, as well as the “feel” of the novel, which is urban fantasy meets crime noir.
The only thing that is really puzzling me—although this may resolve further into the book—is that the Arthur C Clarke Award is for science fiction, and from what I can tell this is definitely shaping as straightout urban fantasy. So I shall be interested to find out if I’m missing something or whether more will yet be revealed to resolve this apparent “disconnect.”
On the strength I’ve what I’ve read so far though, it’s not going to be any hardship to read on and find out. 😉