This haunting, wildly original novel explores the lives of several characters entwined by The Wizard of Oz--both the novel written by L. Frank Baum and the strangely resonant 1939 film. Was traverses the American landscape to reveal how the human imagination transcends the bleakest circumstance.

Literature & Fiction

Ryman, Geoff

Contemporary

Harpercollins

The ultimate fantasy? Or a nightmare of self-discovery? From the renowned author of 253 comes a dark, erotic fable for the modern age. David, a young scientist investigating what happens to the brain during the process of learning, suddenly finds himself the subject of a bizarre experiment. On the way home from the lab one night he spies Tony, a fitness instructor from his gym, on the same platform waiting for the tube. David's had an obsession with Tony for weeks, but David is no Adonis and Tony's barely noticed him at all. Until now. When David imagines Tony naked, a pleasant fantasy to spice up a dull journey home, an extraordinary thing happens: Tony strips there and then on the platform and offers himself in front of all onlookers. Horrified, David flees. But back at his flat, Tony reappears, as if by magic. And disappears, when David wishes him away. And reappears when he calls him back. Being a scientist, David recognises an experiment when he sees one, and sets out to test hypotheses. In quick succession he conjures up Billie Holliday, Johnny Weismuller, Daffy Duck, Picasso, Sophia Loren, even his younger self. Mad with lust and losing all scientific objectivity, he runs the gamut of his fantasies until, sated and morally bankrupt, he's forced to confront himself. He realises he is the subject of a divine experiment into human temptation, free will and the excercise of power.

Lust, or, No harm done

Flamingo

The King's Last Song

Literary

Small Beer Press

A cult classic in the making. 253 is the novel about everyone you've ever met and wished you hadn't or wished you could again. 252 passengers and one driver on the London Underground. They all have their own personal histories, their own thoughts about themselves and their travelling neighbours. And they all have one page devoted to them. Some characters are tragic, some are inspiring, some are mad/proud/foolish/infuriating (delete where appropriate) and some are just like the person near you right now. You'll meet Estelle who's fallen madly in love with Saddam Hussein; James, who anaesthetises sick gorillas for a living; and Who?, a character that doesn't know where, or what, on earth he is. It's a seven-and-a-half minute journey between Embankment and the Elephant &amp; Castle. It's the journey of 253 lifetimes! This is the full text of the celebrated interactive novel that startled the Web when it first went on line. Only it can't crash, the downloading time is quicker and you can read it on the Tube, the train, the bus,, the plane, by foot -- even by car, so long as you're not driving.

"[Ryman] has not so much created as revealed a world in which the promise of redemption takes seed even in horror."—The Boston Globe“Sweeping and beautiful. . . . The complex story tears the veil from a hidden world.”—The Sunday Times“Inordinately readable . . . extraordinary in its detail, color and brutality.”—The Independent"Ryman has crafted a solid historical novel with an authentic feel for both ancient and modern Cambodia."—Washington DC City Paper“Another masterpiece by one of the greatest fiction writers of our time.”—Kim Stanley Robinson"Ryman's knack for depicting characters; his ability to tell multiple, interrelated stories; and his knowledge of Cambodian history create a rich narrative that looks at Cambodia's "killing fields" both recent and ancient and Buddhist belief with its desire for transcendence. Recommended for all literary fiction collections."—Library JournalArcheologist Luc Andrade discovers an ancient Cambodian manuscript inscribed on gold leaves but is kidnapped—and the manuscript stolen—by a faction still loyal to the ideals of the brutal Pol Pot regime. Andrade’s friends, an ex-Khmer Rouge agent and a young motoboy, embark on a trek across Cambodia to rescue him. Meanwhile, Andrade, bargaining for his life, translates the lost manuscript for his captors. The result is a glimpse into the tremendous and heart-wrenching story of King Jayavarman VII: his childhood, rise to power, marriage, interest in Buddhism, and the initiation of Cambodia’s golden age. As Andrade and Jayavarman’s stories interweave, the question becomes whether the tale of ancient wisdom can bring hope to a nation still suffering from the violent legacy of the last century.Geoff Ryman is the author of the novels Air (winner of Arthur C Clarke and James Tiptree awards) and The Unconquered Country (a World Fantasy Award winner). Canadian by birth, he has lived in Cambodia and Brazil and now teaches creative writing at the University of Manchester in England.

Science Fiction & Fantasy

Harper

The Child Garden

Fantasy

St.Martin's

The Unconquered Country

HarperCollins, Publishers

This haunting, wildly original novel explores the lives of several characters entwined by The Wizard of Oz--both the novel written by L. Frank Baum and the strangely resonant 1939 film. Was traverses the American landscape to reveal how the human imagination transcends the bleakest circumstance.

Penguin??Books

In a twenty-first-century world where mankind's cancer cure has accidentally halved the human lifespan and where children rule, Milena's obsessive attempts to stage an operatic adaptation of "The Divine Comedy" has worldwide consequences

The Child Garden; or a Low Comedy

Science Fiction

St Martins Pr

Tremendously popular on the Internet, 253 is one of the year's most imaginative, unclassifiable books. What it is: A London tube train, with all seats occupied, carries 252 passengers. The driver makes 253. Each one has a secret history, thoughts about themselves and the world. And each one's story takes one page (comprised of exactly 253 words) in this novel. Meet Estelle, who has fallen madly in love with Saddam Hussein; James, who anesthetizes sick gorillas for a living; and Who? a character who doesn't know where, or what, on earth he is. Perhaps you'll see a bit of yourself in some or all of them. This seven-and-a-half minute ride between Embankment and Elephant &amp; Castle is highly original. And enjoyable. And unpredictable. And full of marvels.

253: A Novel

British & Irish

St. Martin's: Griffin

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Ryman, Geoff. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Ryman, Geoff

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Ryman, Geoff. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Was

Lust, or, No harm done

The King's Last Song

253

The King's Last Song

The Child Garden

The Unconquered Country

Was

The Child Garden; or a Low Comedy

253: A Novel