Half Life (Jackson novel)

Half Life is the 2006 debut novel of American writer and artist Shelley Jackson. The novel presupposes an alternate history in which the atomic bomb resulted in a genetic preponderance of conjoined twins, who eventually become a minority subculture.

Half Life
First edition cover
AuthorShelley Jackson
Cover artistJacket design by Roberto de Vicq de Cumptich
LanguageEnglish
GenreNovel, alternate history
PublisherHarperCollins
Publication date
July 25, 2006
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (hardback & paperback)
Pages440 pp (first edition, hardcover)
ISBN978-0-06-088235-8 (first edition, hardcover)
OCLC63165002
813/.54 22
LC ClassPS3560.A2448 H35 2006

Overview

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The book tells the story of a disenchanted conjoined twin named Nora Olney who plots to have her twin murdered.

Reception

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Half Life received mixed-to-positive reviews; Newsweek called it "brilliant and funny,"[1] and The New York Times, while praising Jackson's ambition as "truly glorious," added that "All this razzle-dazzle, all the allusions, [and] the narrative loop-de-loops [get] a bit busy."[2] It won the 2006 James Tiptree, Jr. Award for science fiction and fantasy.

References

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  1. ^ Braiker, Brian. "Two Times a Lady", Newsweek, 2006-08-16. Retrieved on 2007-08-01.
  2. ^ D'Erasmo, Stacey. "My Sister and Me", The New York Times, 2006-08-13. Retrieved on 2007-08-01.