Absence

Hudson (Our Shared Storm) gives a skillful metaphysical twist to a tale of apocalyptic horror in this strikingly original novel. Its setting is a near-future America devastated by “popping,” a phenomenon that sees individuals unexpectedly vanish from existence, their sudden disappearance punctuated by a vacuum pop. Harvey Ellis and Shonda Erins, secretly lovers and both agents in the Kansas Bureau of Depopulation Affairs, spend their days documenting these incidents of “Spontaneous Human Absence” and issuing remainder benefit checks to loved ones left behind. They’re dispatched to rural Dawnville to investigate the case of Gabby Reyes, who popped as a teenager 10 years earlier and has now miraculously returned with a fantastical account of her post-pop existence. Shonda suspects Gabby is a fraud but Harvey, who lost his fiancée and parents in a mass “clusterpop” years earlier, clings to a shred of hope that those who have popped are not gone forever, setting the stage for an investigation that will harshly test the beliefs of both characters. The thoroughness with which Hudson imagines how individuals and society would have to rewire themselves to contend with this bizarre phenomenon lends his tale impressive philosophical heft. The result is a poignant exploration of loss, grief, hope, and the fragility of existence that will resonate with readers beyond the fantasy and horror genres. (May)