SPSFC 3 Book Review - Three Grams of Elsewhere by Andy Giesler
Three Grams of Elsewhere was a deeply thought-provoking sci-fi novel which seeks to explore how we connect.
Harmony (Bibi) Cain is an empath, perhaps the worlds most powerful one at that. Which is why he has remained unlinked all this time. After hanging up his investigative hat up, he has chosen to spend the remainder of his years in a rural Wisconsin retirement community with a very select group of friends, his faithful cat and a constant supply of the drug that gives him the most peace. But his peace cannot last forever. After all, he is just an old man now.
When a number of impossible killings make waves in North America, Bibi finds himself being bought into yet another investigation he wants nothing to do with. He was never any good at this investigative stuff anyway. But when the killings turn out to be something only an empath could be behind, he is torn. As much as he wishes he could resist the pleas of help, it was Bibi who helped to create the motes causing the deaths in the first place. It was Bibi who helped the government weaponise empathy. Torn between his civil duty, an extremely persistent friend who can’t leave any puzzles unsolved and his desire to just stay in bed, Bibi will have to make a choice. A choice which has already been made for him, he just needs to come to terms with it.
Three Grams of Elsewhere was such an interesting read. I won’t sit here and pretend I understood absolutely everything that went on in this book, in fact I got lost quite a few times, but it was still utterly fascinating. The biggest sell for me was certainly the thematics covered inside of these pages. Connection and the social commentary on things like social media, binaries and the human condition were all super interesting to uncover. The author has done quite a good job of making the reader think about how we ourselves react to others emotional needs, how it makes us feel and how we use that to guide our actions for better or worse. I also thought the comments surrounding just how we as humans can use slight differences in mindset or upbringing to start a war, or find connection were great as the lines between the two often blur. This was certainly a book that made me think.
Another thing I quite liked about this read was the characters. Bibi was so unapologetic in his not wanting to be involved and needing to look after himself at the detriment of others. He had chosen his close knit of friends and remained close and loyal to them, the reader could certainly see how much love he had for this small group. Although he didn’t want much to do with anyone else he also couldn’t help but treat anyone else around him with respect, even when they wished him harm. Again, this opens a conversation, this time surrounding how we treat others reflects on us, how it affects other people and why it is important to come from a place of understanding even if you don’t agree. Each character we got to see on a closer level in Three Grams of Elsewhere was memorable in some way. From Dys, a very persistent older woman who begged Bibi to take on the case, to Dred, the agent assigned to babysit him between meetings in the main city. They all had something to add, even if they didn’t have a great deal of page time.
I will say that this book did feel somewhat slow, rambly and convoluted at times, but I would encourage you to give it a shot. The heart is there, and you might learn something about yourself at the end of it. I will, however, not be putting it through to the next round of SPSFC 3.
