‘Eight Billion Genies’ – Soule, Browne (Image)

 

Page Count: 240 Pages

If I was still the kind of blogger that did ‘Best of’ lists (I’ve got nothing against them, these days I’d just rather be reading)… You can see where this is going :o) I think I’ve found one of my favourite reads for this year.

I’m not just a sucker for some good cover art; it turns out that I can also be hooked by the right title. And what is there not to be intrigued about by the concept of eight billion genies, all with one wish to grant to ‘their person’? Yep, me neither so that is why I grabbed myself a copy and last night, sat down for a read…

Everywhere, at precisely the same moment, everyone on Earth gets a Genie and one wish.

As people all over the world make wishes profane and profound, the world - and humanity – change forever.We follow eight characters who find themselves in a Detroit dive bar as ‘G-Day’ descends upon humanity. They navigate their hopes, fears, dreams and wishes over the first eight seconds… The first eight hours… And ultimately… The next eight centuries.

Eight billion genies, what would you wish for?

I’ll be honest, I’ve got no idea what I’d wish for… Erm, to make it through the madness of eight billion other wishes? Either that or to have Orange flavour Chewits back on the shelves. Depends on how I’m feeling ;o)

Luckily for us, in this world of eight billion genies, Charles Soule knows exactly what everyone would wish for, or how they would use other people’s genies. The result? Well…

The result is as chaotic as you’d expect and this is depicted beautifully both through Soule’s plot and Browne’s artwork. The art, in particular, really feels like Browne just got to go to town in a world where everything is happening, all at once. And that is just the kind of feeling that a book like this needs. Everything is suddenly possible but it’s not all compatible (not at all) and this book really captures that.

That’s not all it does though. In the best tradition of all ‘apocalypse stories’ (and that is what it is, at least from where I was sat), ‘Eight Billion Genies’ is very much about what happens next, once the initial madness is out of people’s systems. How people make sense of this new world, either through their wishes or just by leaving shelter and living day to day. It’s a book about living with the consequences of things that you always wanted but never, ever, thought you would have because they are impossible to have.

Soule really goes deep into this with a cast, most of whom aren’t the type to wish quickly. They really think about their wishes and this sends ‘Eight Billion Genies’ into territory that is all the more touching given the chaotic backdrop that it happens against. That madness really makes the reader focus on the humanity of the cast and that is where the real joy of the story is to be found.

The end result is a book that I couldn’t put down, even if the ending was a little predictable (albeit totally in keeping with the rest of the book). It’s not often that I come across a book so chaotic but so thoughtful all at the same time, packed full of characters that I was invested in right from the start. I’m already looking forward to the re-read.