Bug: A Novel

Giacomo Sartori's novel "Bug" is a finalist for the 2022 Philip K. Dick Award. It is a madcap story of family dysfunction, (dis)ability, intelligent robots, bees, and a family of misfit savants living outside the bounds. The young, deaf narrator of the novel has only a handful of people who try to understand him when he gets into trouble at school. His father, a data analyst for Nutella, is clueless about humans in real life, while his brilliant brother, IQ, is busy training his robot. His grandfather, a retired anarchist-guerilla-turned-nematologist, chides him for misbehaving. Meanwhile, his Buddhist beekeeper mother has been in a coma since a car accident.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 320 pages
Publication date: 18 February 2021
Publisher: Regan Arts

Finalist for the 2022 Philip K. Dick Award

With the wicked humor and imagination that made readers fall in love with his novel I Am God, Giacomo Sartori brings us a madcap story of family dysfunction, (dis)ability, intelligent robots, bees, and a family of misfit savants living outside the bounds.

In the singular world of the young, deaf narrator of Bug, there are just a handful of people who try to understand him when he gets into trouble at school. His father, a data analyst for Nutella whose real job is to pinpoint terrorists, is clueless about humans in real life. His brilliant brother, called IQ in public and Robin Hood in the hackersphere, has his back but is ever busier training his robot. His grandfather, a retired anarchist-guerilla-turned-nematologist, chides him for misbehaving when he takes him hunting for worms. Meanwhile, his Buddhist beekeeper mother, ordinarily his closest confidante, has been in a coma ever since a terrible car accident.

Just when the family's survival in their converted chicken coop seems most precarious, someone—or some thing—new enters his life: Bug. This self-declared fast friend seems to know all about his family and has some creative, if not strictly legal, ideas about how to help.

As the family's situation grows more desperate, Bug's plans become increasingly audacious, and the line between friend and foe becomes blurred. The family must navigate a complex web of lies, secrets, and betrayals to survive, and in the process, they learn that sometimes the greatest danger comes from within.

Bug is a thrilling and thought-provoking novel that explores the boundaries of family, (dis)ability, and the power of imagination. Sartori's writing is witty and clever, and his characters are complex and relatable. This is a must-read for fans of science fiction and literary fiction alike.

Weight: 320g
Dimension: 127 x 182 x 27 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781632062741