The night the sky fell, Jack and Nora Abernathy’s daughter vanished in the woods. And Mia’s disappearance broke her parents’ already fragile marriage. Unable to solve her own daughter’s case, Nora lost herself in her work as a homicide detective. Jack became a shell of a man; his promising career as a biologist crumbling alongside the meteor strikes that altered weather patterns and caused a massive drought.
It isn’t until five years later that the rains finally return to nourish Seattle. In this period of sudden growth, Jack uncovers evidence of a new parasitic fungus, while Nora investigates several brutal, ritualistic murders. Soon they will be drawn together by a horrifying connection between their discoveries—partnering to fight a deadly contagion as well as the government forces that know the truth about the fate of their daughter.
Happy New Year, welcome to 2022 and what promises to be another epically good year for genre fiction. This week we are off to a flying start with The Unfamiliar Garden by Benjamin Percy. Before we get down to it, I should point out that though this is the second book in the series. Knowledge of book one is not required* as references made to the first novel are cursory at best. I think I am more inclined to view these books as standalone stories plucked from the same shared universe.
The world has been forever changed by the passing of a comet known as Cain. Meteorites have impacted the Earth leaving behind mysterious new elements. The first book, The Ninth Metal, focused on the discovery of a non-terrestrial “omnimetal” in Minnesota. The Unfamiliar Garden moves the narrative to Seattle and explores how the planet’s ecosystem is beginning to shift.
This story is a far more personal affair than The Ninth Metal. After their daughter’s disappearance, Jack and Nora’s relationship breaks down irrevocably. Like an open wound, Percy lays the rawness of their existence bare. Jack is barely holding what is left of this life together, while Nora has retreated into her work. Though they are apart the sense of shared pain feels palpable. I think the quiet moments between the couple are so well observed. Driven apart by trauma, you can sense even though they are walking on eggshells around one another there is still a depth of emotion. They both yearn for a closure that seems impossible to achieve. It’s heart-breaking stuff. I found myself empathising with them both. Jack wears his emotions on his sleeve, while Nora keeps them buried away. It’s clear that both are still hurting.
There is also some suitably sinister government conspiracy type stuff going off, as well as weird outer space shenanigans. I attempted to describe the plot of The Unfamiliar Garden to Mrs Cheesecake. Her response, “That sounds like some trippy sh*t”. I have to say that I’m inclined to agree, but I mean that as the highest of compliments. The author’s vivid descriptions of how humanity is evolving into something new evokes a real sense of eldritch otherworldliness. Trust me, we’re almost veering into Swamp Thing territory here. I loved how the story blends together elements of a serial killer police procedural, an intimate study of family tragedy, and cosmic horror flawlessly. As an added bonus, I also now know far more about fungi than I ever expected I would. The Ninth Metal was a great beginning to The Comet Cycle. The Unfamiliar Garden continues to deliver the same masterful storytelling. As I mentioned before, it can be enjoyed standalone or as a companion to its predecessor. Either is good.
The Unfamiliar Garden is published by Hodder and is available in the UK from 13th January. Highly recommended. Book three in The Comet Cycle, Sky Fault, is set to follow later this year. I will most definitely be reading it.
My musical recommendation to accompany the novel is the 2013 iteration of The Day of the Triffids by Alan D Boyd. Otherworldly space fungus requires a suitably otherworldly soundtrack.
*That said I’ll admit I did read book one during the Christmas break. I can’t help myself I am an obsessive completist. It had to be done.
No Comments