Publishers Weekly
06/03/2024
Dane (Cry Pilot) delivers a fascinating but often frustrating tale of an unlikely friendship in a postapocalyptic wilderness, where the remaining humans have formed tight-knit communities to protect themselves from outsiders, especially “twitches,” robot-human hybrids with superhuman physical and mental capabilities. Ysmany, a teen girl raised in one of these communities, witnesses her people kill a family who wandered into their territory. Only one infant boy survives. Desperate to protect the baby, Ysmany runs away with a mysterious figure known as the Ragpicker, a twitch looking for his husband. The relationship between Ysmany, the Ragpicker, and the baby, and the ways it is perceived by those they encounter, forms the heart of the story and keeps the pages turning. Many readers, however, will struggle to orient themselves in this elaborate world as key concepts are kept obscure for much of the novel. Even understanding what exactly a twitch is, which is essential to grasping anything else that’s happening, proves arduous. For those willing to put in the work, however, there are plenty of enticing speculative ideas here. Agent: Caitlin Balsdell, Liza Dawson Assoc. (July)
From the Publisher
"Weird, bold, intimate, and devastating, The Ragpicker is shatteringly lovely. Easily the best thing I’ve read this year.”—Kerstin Hall, author of The Border Keeper and Asunder "If humanity is information, what happens when that information degrades? This astonishing book takes us into a future that feels utterly real, and introduces us to characters we can't help but love as painfully as they learn to love each other. Gorgeous, strange and unforgettable."—Kate Heartfield, author of The Embroidered Book "Surreal, lyrical, and boundlessly inventive, The Ragpicker is unlike any novel I’ve ever read. An apocalyptic tale with a bloody beating heart at its center.”—Keith Rosson, award-winning author of Fever House and Folk Songs for Trauma Surgeons "An engulfing, absorbing trek through a unique post-apocalyptic Earth where the titular character is haunted by the remnants of a former age and yet discovers what is lost is not necessarily gone forever.”—Eeleen Lee, author of Liquid Crystal Nightingale "Equal parts cosy and horror, The Ragpicker explores our human need for love, for forgiveness—and for meaning, illuminated in flashes via ancient texts and even a lightning-strike of a one-act play. A gem of a post-apocalyptic novel about kindness and hope.”—Genoveva Dimova, author of Foul Days "The Ragpicker is an action-laden quest story of a girl and a wanderer and a baby. It’s a mesmeric post-apocalyptic narrative with titillating hand combat scenes. It’s a story full of heart and angst, courage and belief.”— Eugen Bacon, Aurealis Magazine "The Ragpicker is a genre-defying mashup of post-apocalyptic greatness … comprised of one-part post-apocalyptic doomsday with an undertone of darkness for the average everyday horror fan; one-part science fiction with enough emotional edge that hardcore fans of Ursula K. LeGuin will love and adore—as well as a modern touch of traditional cyberpunk that tech-junkies will recognize and appreciate."— Jon R. Myers, The Horror Zine
