by Geoff Ryman
First published 2002
David studies how brains learn, but he becomes the test subject in an impossible experiment. Riding the tube home from his lab, he spots Tony, the gym instructor he's been watching for weeks. David knows Tony barely sees him. When David pictures Tony without clothes, something extraordinary happens. Tony strips naked on the platform and approaches him. David runs home, terrified. Tony appears in his flat, then vanishes when David wills it. David realizes he can summon anyone he wants. He calls forth Billie Holiday, Johnny Weissmuller, Picasso, Sophia Loren, even his younger self. His scientific mind tries to understand this power, but desire overwhelms logic. He indulges every fantasy until he feels empty and ashamed. David finally understands he's trapped in a test of human nature, forced to examine his own capacity for temptation and control.
Genres: fantasy, contemporary, adult-fiction, psychological-thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: supernatural-abilities, unreliable-narrator
400 pages · Paperback · Flamingo
Content warnings: explicit-sexual-content