Presence: A Novel

Treasure Island is a human-made island in the San Francisco Bay, and a performance troupe dressed in hazmat suits is there to explore its history and ecology. Meanwhile, earth scientists are searching for the golden spike, a geologic marker that synchronously indicates a definitive time change in the strata. Encounter and contact between different timeframes, cultures, ecologies, persons, intuitions, ways of living, and worlding are the major elements of consequence, action, implication, and resounding significance. These junctures are moments of possibility, of violence, and/or of budding community.

Format: Hardback
Length: 277 pages
Publication date: 15 January 2024
Publisher: University of Georgia Press

Treasure Island, a man-made island in the San Francisco Bay, is home to a performance troupe dressed in hazmat suits who use intricate gestures that resemble toxic remediation. As they delve deeper into the site's history and ecology, enigmatic presences invade their spacetime, leaving them to wonder if they are from the past, present, or future. What is the significance of their sudden arrival? What happens when historical and geological eras converge?

Meanwhile, earth scientists around the globe are searching for the golden spike, a geologic marker that signifies a definitive time change in the strata, transitioning from the Holocene epoch to the Anthropocene. Within their data lies Earth's biography, but how is humanity insinuated within this chronology?

Presence, encounter, and contact are the central themes of this novel. They encompass the interactions between different timeframes, cultures, ecologies, individuals, intuitions, ways of living, and worldings. At these junctures, there are moments of possibility—of violence and/or of budding community.

The performance troupe on Treasure Island becomes increasingly aware of the site's toxic history and the ongoing efforts to remediate it. They begin to sense the presence of otherworldly beings, who seem to be connected to the island's past and present. As they explore the island, they discover ancient artifacts and mysterious structures that hint at a hidden history and a powerful force that still governs the land.

The earth scientists, meanwhile, are piecing together the evidence of the golden spike's location. They study the strata, analyzing the geological markers and fossils to determine when the transition from the Holocene to the Anthropocene occurred. They discover that the golden spike is not a single event but a series of events that have occurred over millions of years, driven by human activities and the changing climate.

As the performance troupe and the earth scientists continue their work, they begin to realize that the golden spike is not just a marker of a time change but a symbol of humanity's impact on the planet. They realize that the Anthropocene epoch is not just a new geological era but a new stage in human history, one in which we have become the dominant force on Earth.

The novel explores the complexities of human-environment interactions, raising questions about our responsibility to the planet and the consequences of our actions. It asks how we can navigate the challenges of the Anthropocene epoch while also preserving the beauty and diversity of the natural world.

In conclusion, Presence is a thought-provoking novel that explores the intersection of time, culture, and the natural world. It raises important questions about our place in history and the future of the planet, and encourages us to think critically about our impact on the world around us.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780820365299