Cover of Arcadia

Arcadia

Henry Lytten - a spy turned academic and writer - sits at his desk in Oxford in 1962, dreaming of other worlds.

He embarks on the story of Jay, an eleven-year-old boy who has grown up within the embrace of his family in a rural, peaceful world - a kind of Arcadia. But when a supernatural vision causes Jay to question the rules of his world, he is launched on a life-changing journey.

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Lytten also imagines a different society, highly regulated and dominated by technology, which is trying to master the science of time travel.

Meanwhile - in the real world - one of Lytten's former intelligence colleagues tracks him down for one last assignment.

As he and his characters struggle with questions of free will, love, duty and the power of the imagination, Lytten discovers he is not sure how he wants his stories to end, nor even who is imaginary...

Audience
adult
Length
epic · 608 pages

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These suit anyone who liked Arcadia. Sign in and mark a few books for picks shaped around your own taste.

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“People who read Arcadia tend to reach for these next.”

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“If you want more of the same (science fiction), start with these.”

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  4. The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O.

“If it was the fantasy that hooked you, try one of these.”

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  3. Infernal Devices
  4. The Universe Parallel

“These start from a similar idea, even if they go somewhere else with it.”

  1. Imaginary Things
  2. The Society of Imaginary Friends
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  4. Sleepwalking