08/16/2021
The second installment of Lahey's blessedly weird near-future sci fi series picks up with Quinn Buyers, an unemployed climate scientist now pregnant and living with her doomsday-prepper father. All she wants is some peace and quiet to try to figure out her life—and to search for her mother, who may have discovered the secret to time travel before disappearing. That peace is shattered by a shadowy organization run by Quinn’s ex-fiance, intent on using her mother's research to power a way off the dying planet. Accompanied by a pair of slightly paranormal teens, an existential AI in the shape of a meerkat, and her cyborg boyfriend, Quinn travels to Antarctica to find the truth—about her mother, about time travel, and about herself.
Despite the grim premise, the quirky characters lend a whimsical feel to the story, and Lahey is clever and inventive in imagining new technology while still dealing with relatable problems—the self-driving car won't let you leave without giving it a rating, and a hologram call still has trouble connecting. Some cultural aspects of this engaging story’s future may strike readers as discordant (three decades into the future, the movie Frozen still has cultural relevance, but people must explain the name "Einstein”), and the urgency of climate change see-saws: the planet’s lost clouds and the Antarctic ice shelf, but the main characters’ lives seem insulated from the consequences. The final revelation of who has been using the time portal, while not out of place thematically, is somewhat abrupt.
Lahey does, however, compellingly showcase 2050s technology, from homemade telekinesis machines to antigravity trucks. The plot builds slowly but deliberately, ratcheting up the interpersonal stakes before escalating sharply into a gunfight and an exciting high-tech chase that all culminates in a wilderness survival trek. Alternately funny and philosophical, this story paints a vivid, high-tech world while still packing an emotional punch.
Takeaway: This near-future story of a world ravaged by climate change will delight lovers of both romance and action sci-fi.
Great for fans of: Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower, Annalee Newitz’s Autonomous.
Production grades Cover: A Design and typography: A Illustrations: N/A Editing: B+ Marketing copy: A
2022 16th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards Finalist in Science Fiction
2022 International Book Awards Finalist in Fiction: Cross-Genre and Fiction: Science Fiction
2022 Forward Indies Awards: Finalist Science Fiction
2022 Indie Reader Discovery Awards: Winner Environment Category
2022 International Book Awards: Finalist Fiction Cross-Genre
2022 International Book Awards: Finalist Science Fiction
2022 Eric Hoffer Award Finalist Science Fiction
2021 Chanticleer Book Awards: Cygnus First Place Winner
2021 Readers Favorite Five Star Award
2021 American fiction awards: Finalist Science Fiction
“The story builds directly on the events of the previous novel, but it is self-contained enough that new readers can hop on without feeling too lost. The mix of humor, whimsy, and science makes for a climate change–centered adventure that manages to feel escapist and topical at the same time. A thrilling and immersive work of speculative climate fiction.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“. . . [T]he quirky characters lend a whimsical feel to the story, and Lahey is clever and inventive in imagining new technology while still dealing with relatable problems . . . Alternately funny and philosophical, this story paints a vivid, high-tech world while still packing an emotional punch. . . . This near-future story of a world ravaged by climate change will delight lovers of both romance and action sci-fi.”
—BookLife Reviews
“In this gripping novel set in a near future beset by relentless climate emergencies, a principled scientist grapples with personal and scientific challenges.”
—Foreword Clarion Reviews
“The writing was done so well, I didn't find anything that broke my suspension of disbelief. The characters were fully fleshed out, and even without reading the first book, I had no problem keeping up with the story. The imagery was so engaging, something for every sense. I could hear and feel and see everything on the pages in my head and it was a hell of a movie.”
—IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award review
“With impeccable world-building, readers get to explore an intriguing blend of Earth’s climate catastrophe with the super-advanced technology world of cyborgs and AI. Though set in the future, the characters still share features typical of the human condition: the endearing and relatable plight of impending motherhood and a fascinating cyborg with symptoms of depression.”
—Indie Reader Discovery Awards review
“Lahey’s writing is exemplary, seamlessly switching POVs and settings to provide a sense of a larger world you find easy to immerse yourself in. If you're a fan of dystopian sci-fi dramas, I highly recommend Nostalgia Is Heartless.”
—Readers’ Favorite, 5-star review
“This book was so much fun to read. The characters are written with much humor and humanity. And the adventure and excitement kept me reading well beyond bedtime! I highly recommend this book. This hope in the future is what makes this series so compelling. There will be a final book in the series. And I can't wait!”
—Pondering The Prose
“Even dropped in without reading the first, there was depth and intrigue from the beginning. I loved the mix of the Earth’s clime destruction with the ultra-high technology world of cyborgs and AI. And it just gets better as the book goes on—especially towards the end. The world building just got more intriguing as Nostalgia is Heartless progresses.”
—Utopia State of Mind Book Reviews
“The biggest draw for me to this book . . . was the focus on impending motherhood, and, admittedly, a bit for the time travel. As a mother, I found Quinn’s pregnancy and questions about motherhood hit close to home.”
—The Lily Cafe
