First published 1974
Helward Mann lives on a world unlike any other. His planet curves inward rather than outward, creating an impossible geometry where the equator and poles extend endlessly into space. For most of his life, Helward accepts this reality without question, going about his daily existence within the confines of his strange home. Then comes the moment when Helward witnesses the true nature of his inverted world with his own eyes. The revelation transforms everything he thought he knew about his existence and his place in the universe. What follows challenges not only Helward's understanding of reality but forces him to confront questions that have no clear answers. As Helward grapples with this new knowledge, the story itself begins to mirror the peculiar shape of his world. The narrative builds to that central moment of discovery, then gradually disperses toward an ending that offers no simple resolution. Helward must find his way forward in a reality that defies conventional understanding, where the very ground beneath his feet follows rules that seem to bend the laws of physics themselves.
Genres: science-fiction, literary-fiction, speculative-fiction, alternate-history
Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: mind-bending, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Inverted World
256 pages · Hardcover · Faber & Faber