Strange Horizons recently posted a review I wrote for them of Rivers Solomon's gothic science fiction novel Sorrowland as part of a special issue they did on Reviews and Criticism.
This book was a very densely written story examining the ways that past events continually intersect with the present moment. The novel itself follows Vern, a woman who escapes with her children from what she at first believes to be a religious compound called Cainland, only to later (after experiencing frightening and surreal visions of historical crimes) realize that this isolated community was actually a secret research facility conducting illegal human experiments.
While this main plotline follows Vern as she flees across the country trying to stay hidden from the authorities, Sorrowland's narrative also slowly comes to touch upon numerous real-world issues relating to the United States's enduring history of racism, sexism, and homophobia. An excerpt of my review is below:
As Vern flees from Cainland and finds her mind to be increasingly filled with hauntings, the book comes to directly depict various past traumas that have been actively erased by prevailing historical narratives—everything from the numerous deaths resulting from the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, to various real-world incidents of medical experimentation conducted covertly against already marginalized groups by the United States government.
In all, Sorrowland was a frequently difficult but also skillfully written novel to read, and one that I completely recommend. The full review which I wrote can be found here. I also really recommend reading the other essays and reviews that were featured as part of this issue.