Not on Fire, but Burning: A Novel, by Greg Hrbek
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Not on Fire, but Burning: A Novel, by Greg Hrbek
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Twenty-year-old Skyler saw the incident out her window: Some sort of metallic object hovering over the Golden Gate Bridge just before it collapsed and a mushroom cloud lifted above the city. Like everyone, she ran, but she couldn't outrun the radiation, with her last thoughts being of her beloved baby brother, Dorian, safe in her distant family home. Flash forward to a post-incident America, where the country has been broken up into territories and Muslims have been herded onto the old Indian reservations in the west, even though no one has determined who set off the explosion that destroyed San Francisco. Twelve-year old Dorian dreams about killing Muslims and about his sister—even though Dorian's parents insist Skyler never existed. Are they still shell-shocked, trying to put the past behind them . . . or is something more sinister going on?Meanwhile, across the street, Dorian's neighbor adopts a Muslim orphan from the territories. It will set off a series of increasingly terrifying incidents that will lead to either tragedy or redemption for Dorian, as he struggles to prove that his sister existed—and was killed by a terrorist attack.Not on Fire, but Burning is unlike anything you're read before—not exactly a thriller, not exactly sci-fi, not exactly speculative fiction, but rather a brilliant and absorbing adventure into the dark heart of an America that seems ripped from the headlines. But just as powerfully, it presents a captivating hero: A young boy driven by love to seek the truth, even if it means his deepest beliefs are wrong.
Not on Fire, but Burning: A Novel, by Greg Hrbek- Amazon Sales Rank: #241538 in Books
- Published on: 2015-09-08
- Released on: 2015-09-08
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 8.77" h x .91" w x 5.98" l, 1.25 pounds
- Binding: Hardcover
- 272 pages
Review A New York Times Book Review Editor's ChoiceAn NPR Best Book of 2015“Hrbek's prose is sharp and trenchant, his voice remarkably complex yet assured, and this novel is an impressive achievement: a narrative that is changing even as it is still taking place, still being reshaped by the news, by our collective and individual memories, and by the very consequences still unfolding from the event itself."—The New York Times“Masterful … A strong, suspenseful novel, rich in its language, clear eyed in its characters and propulsive in its plotting. Full of ambiguity, yet precise in its construction, “Not on Fire, But Burning” is a shining example of post-9/11, pre-next-disaster storytelling."—The San Francisco Chronicle“With Not on Fire, but Burning, Hrbek has crafted something audacious: A novel that operates simultaneously as apocalyptic alarmism, brain-bending quantum fiction, character-driven drama and gripping mystery. It's as poignant as it is perplexing and profound."—NPR “It is impossible to read Greg Hrbek's brand new speculative fiction at this moment in time without thinking about all the Facebook posts in your feed about Paris, terrorism and Muslims. Not on Fire, But Burning is simultaneously a dark look at our possible near future and a hopeful one. The book had me in tears by the end.”—CBC News“Not on Fire, but Burning reads like a fever dream — spectacular, seductive, eerie, and surreal…Hrbek’s prose is hypnotic, his abrupt POV pivots are both dizzying and delightful, and his overarching meta-speculative style is utterly entrancing. Fans of Delillo, Atwood, or just great, innovative fiction, this one’s for you.”—Buzzfeed, 5 Great Books to Read in October“Brilliantly uncanny and read-it-under-your-desk-at-work suspenseful… You can approach the book as an allegory for the long-term aftermath of 9/11, or as a good, creepy read—it holds up beautifully on both fronts."—GQ, 7 New Books to Celebrate the Arrival of Reading Season“Gripping and unnerving, Not on Fire, but Burning is a brilliant critique on the prejudices and fears of the post-9/11 world."—BuzzFeed, 19 Awesome New Books You Need To Read This Fall“A strange and beautiful genre-busting novel about danger and memory.”—Elizabeth McCracken, Miami Herald“As [Hrbek's] characters uneasily navigate each other and their new world, they grapple with the same issues and prejudices of our current post-9/11 instability."—KQED, 10 Fall Books to Anticipate“Hrbek beautifully depicts the very human longing for a better reality. In analyzing the burning angst and strife within a single human decision, Hrbek highlights the responsibility of emotion and thought in determining those decisions. We only have our very future dangling over the fire."—PopMatters“Like the best speculative fiction, [Hrbek's] 2038 America could serve as a warped reflection of our own time, probing post-9/11 anxieties."—Omaha World-Herald, 8 Must-Read Books“Brilliant . . . It’s troubling and beautiful, bold and compelling, a brainy, heartfelt page-turner” —Elizabeth McCracken“Not On Fire, but Burning is a mystery, a thriller, a sharp critique of contemporary culture, and an explosive family drama all in one. Hrbek gives us that greatest of literary gifts: the inability to do anything but keep turning pages.” —Ron Currie, Jr., author of Everything Mattters“Audacious, masterful, fresh, and compelling. I couldn’t stop reading, and I couldn’t stop questioning what I knew.” —V. V. Ganeshananthan, author of Love Marriage“Hrbek…may be poised to be the next indie breakout."—The Millions, Most Anticipated Books of 2015“[Hrbek's] engagement with themes of loss and recovery and his vibrantly lyrical prose style reach a peak in this dark, allusive fantasy, which seems intended as a metaphor for the anxieties still lurking in our post-9/11 universe."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review“A profound cautionary tale, a vivid and often deeply unnerving reminder that our choices carry real and lasting consequences."—Publishers Weekly“Hrbek delivers a captivating story filled with nuance. Every chapter brings a surprise, and Hrbek has real knack for stunning, unforgettable images and turns of phrase. Not on Fire, But Burning boldly questions America’s moral standing since 9/11, and brings to life the horrific consequences of ignorance, fear and hate."—BookpagePraise for The Hindenburg Crashes Nightly “Provocative . . . Hrbek writes with an appealing lyricism, and he knows how to deliver a bravura scene.” —The New York Times Book Review “Irresistible.” —The Atlanta Journal Constitution “Sensuous prose and vital characters . . . magnetic, difficult, strange and well worth the read.” —Publishers Weekly “Subtle, inventive, moving.” —Kirkus Reviews “A compelling story of obsessed passion.” —San Francisco Examiner
About the Author GREG HRBEK won the James Jones First Novel award for his book The Hindenberg Crashes Nightly. His short fiction has appeared in Harper's Magazine and numerous literary journals, and in The Best American Short Stories anthology. He is writer in residence at Skidmore College.
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful. "Every loss deserves a telling." By Ethan "What they're doing down there is mourning. As millions of people across the infinitude of the grid shall always be mourning, coping with every imaginable variation of loss. Every loss deserves a telling."8-11 was the day that changed everything. Twenty-year-old Skylar was watching from her apartment window when she noticed the object falling from the sky. Before she could reach the young boy she was babysitting, the night's sky was illuminated by the brilliant flash of the mass impacting the earth. The Golden Gate Bridge was reduced to rubble, and a haze of ash and debris enveloped the city. As soon as she ascended to the chaos on the streets, Skylar's fate was sealed. The toxic air polluted her lungs and she, like so many others that day, fell victim to the catastrophic tragedy.Several years later the world is still coping with the effects of that incident. Authorities were never able to determine what exactly caused the disaster and have no idea who, if anyone, was responsible for the attack. Some claim that the object was a missal or a bomb. Others swear it was an object from outer space. In the end, whatever the object was doesn't really matter. The events of that day have caused an immense shift in the daily lives of everyday people. They now, "live, day to day, with the chance of something violent, something tragic happening at any moment."Motivated by this constant fear, post-incident America has responded in a historically misguided way. Much like Japanese Americans after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Muslim Americans have been corralled into camps. As Americans search for any scapegoat to place their anger and grief upon, Muslims become the victims of hate and distrust.Skylar's family has found her death to be unbearable. So much so that her parents, Mitch and Kathryn, have erased any trace of their deceased daughter. Whether they have done this consciously or not is unclear, but they constantly tell their youngest son, Dorian, that he does not and has never had a sister. Dorian was a toddler on 8-11, so he has no recollection of Skylar. But the young man is beginning to suspect that his parents are hiding something from him. He has vivid dreams of a young woman watching a blinding flash from an apartment window in the city. His parents refuse to acknowledge any questions about the girl, but Dorian persists that evidence of a sister must exist somewhere.Dorian's life becomes even further conflicted when his elderly neighbor introduces a young boy, Karim, who he has adopted from one of the Muslim camps. Dorian is instantly filled with hate for the boy. "Hating . . . not him exactly, but the idea of him, or the idea of people like him -- and though he has been taught to not believe in the sameness of all such persons, a logic as inborn as the structure of his DNA connect each and every one of them. . ."Karim is equally troubled with his new life. In the camps, he was indoctrinated with the teachings of self-sacrifice to reach eternal paradise. The Sheik had Karim memorize a number that he was to use to contact the camp after he settled into his new home. Once contact was established, Karim would begin the process of planning for a suicide bombing mission. But as he assimilates to his current situation, Karim begins to realize that he may have more similarities than differences with the people he has been taught to hate.In Not on Fire, but Burning, author Greg Hrbek explores the ways in which people deal with the grief and fear that comes from loss. He changes between first and third person point of view as each of the characters are explored. At first, this can be a bit disconcerting, but the changing perspectives soon fall into a steady rhythm that allows for a breezy pace. By shifting to the different characters, Hrbek provides intimate insight into each of their situations. While they are all connected as participants in the main narrative, the characters are further united by the same internal conflict. Each character is trying to reconcile societal decorum with their own conscience. This makes for a layered drama that delves beyond the main story. Through this extensive character study and an almost poetic prose, Hrbek crafts an exquisite novel that works as a metaphor to America's reaction to the events of 9/11 and a stunning exploration of the human reaction to tragedy.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. "Like something cosmic come at high speed through the atmosphere..." By "switterbug" Betsey Van Horn There’s a whiff here of the post 9/11 novel. An attack. Islamophobia. Hatred. Fear of the future, and hardliners taking positions. But Hrbek, perhaps inspired by that genre of books, created a more unconventional novel—part speculative fiction, part dystopia, thriller, particles of sci-fi, cautionary tale, family drama, and part scrutiny of social bias. It’s an ambitious novel that alternates between characters, and in different realms of time—or networks of time, while also occurring in a narrow period of eight years. It’s an examination of people who attempt to reconcile their principles with their fears, and how memories play an important part of their convictions, but may not be what they seem. Moreover, it demonstrates how hatred is a toxin that spreads to future generations.The prelude opens with an attack of unknown source and composition on the Golden Gate Bridge on 8/11/2030, “something, metal or fire or a bolt of electromagnetism.” Young college student Skyler Wakefield is babysitting when it happens, while her family is tucked safely and distantly away from the resulting mushroom cloud and radiation. The reader can’t be sure of her fate, but we know that her mind is on her three-year-old brother, Dorian.Fast-forward eight years later, a very different America, whose borders have changed into provinces and territories, due to the nuclear fallout. Although nothing has been substantiated about the cause of the 8/11 attack, the official story blames radical Islam terrorists. All Muslims have been corralled into ghetto-like camps, isolated from the rest of the country, just like the Americans did to the Japanese seventy years ago. They have been categorically demonized, although some progressive people are sympathetic to their plight.Meanwhile, Dorian, now almost twelve, is having dreams about a sister, Skyler, who he doesn’t actually remember, but is ever-present in a nighttime fever of clairvoyance. His parents state that they have no memory of a daughter, and are disturbed by Dorian’s insistence that she existed. The widespread blame on Muslims for 8/11 fuels Dorian’s suspicion and naïve hatred of them, as he connects them to the fate of his sister. Does she exist? Hberk deftly structures the book so that even the reader is questioning whether Skyler was real. Or, perhaps she exists in a different sphere of time, as promoted by a keen, long-haired outlier. Are his parents lying to him?Meanwhile, the Wakefield’s 71 year-old neighbor, who fought in all Gulf Wars (most recently Gulf War III), has just legally adopted eleven-year-old Karim from one of the camps. Karim’s parents were killed in an American drone strike, which leaves him ripe for hatred against “infidels.” His presence in the neighborhood causes a stir and escalation of convictions, and an incident that unleashes extremes of behavior, and in some cases, potential heroism.The novel achieves a great resonance of feeling, but its breadth, which came on hard and fast toward the end, also obfuscated some of the key questions it raised, or dropped them altogether. Some ideas used shallow treatment, and the portrait of Muslim characters mostly lacked nuance. Dorian and Karim emerge as the main characters, and it is their actions and interior monologues that give it pace throughout the shifting perspectives.Much of the narrative is stream-of-consciousness, which was periodically repetitive, and could have been sharpened to a finer point. However, at times, such as with this quote, it accentuated the enigma of humanity.“What we have presented here is a fraction of the whole, no more representative of the total narrative than a single cell is representative of the living body of a person, just as every person described herein is, in like manner, a fraction of a whole of greater selves.”I enjoyed it for its intriguing enterprise and imagination, as well as giving us a window into a community, and how its empathy, enmity, fears, fractiousness, and convictions are built. Additionally, the story illuminates that history and memory are intertwined, and that all our actions build on previous actions, affect each other, and have consequences.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Theoretical Physics and the Novel, Some Thoughts By Tom at Amazon There is an aspect of this novel that is worth thinking about, namely the references to a "grid" and "quantum." First, the grid may be in reference to the space-time diagrams used in physics where the x-axis is time and the y-axis is space (simplified to one dimension). An event is a trajectory in this space whether it refers to the movement of a car, a comet or a galaxy or, for that matter, a person or even a person's entire life. Second, the reference to quantum may link to the interpretation problem in quantum mechanics. There is a probabilistic aspect to QM and, for the sake of interpretation in regard to a conceptual problem (not discussed by me here), some but my no means all QM theorists postulate that all the possible values of a quantity (each with its probability in a distribution) "happen" rather than only the one that in some conventional sense is "observed." In other words, each possible path is actually taken rather than just one. So for instance, the probability distribution over the possible events in San Francisco at a certain point in time yields the explosion (observed by Skyler) but also other events such as -- there was no explosion. And so forth. I admit that the fit to the author's usage is not perfect. The no-explosion path (really an infinite number of paths) is said to be "parallel" to the explosion path and for the author is idenfified with a line parallel to the t-axis, as I understand him. In any case, I have studied QM but am not a physicist. If there is a reader who is a physicist it would be nice to get his reaction to the quasi-formalism used in the book as well as the entirety of the seeming QM interpretation that author seems to use, namely the Many Worlds Interpretation.
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