The End of Mr. Y
Encyclopedia
The End of Mr. Y is a novel by British author Scarlett Thomas
. The book tells the story of Ariel Manto, a PhD student who has been researching the 19th century writer Thomas Lumas. She finds an extremely rare copy of Lumas' novel The End of Mr. Y in a second-hand bookshop. The book is rumoured to be cursed - everyone who has read it has died not long afterwards.
Central to Lumas' book is the "Troposphere" – a place where all consciousness is connected and you can enter other people's minds and read their thoughts. The book contains the recipe for a homeopathic
formula that Lumas' hero uses to enter the Troposphere. Manto uses the recipe to reproduce the formula and subsequently enters the Troposphere herself.
The book mentions that her surname is fictitious and based on an anagram; Ariel Manto is an anagram of I am not real.
As have Janette Turner Hospital
and Andrew Crumey
, the writer explores the relationships between quantum physics and post-modernist and deconstructionist theory. The description of the Troposphere has been compared to the novels of Neal Stephenson
and William Gibson
, and shares similarities to The Matrix
.
The End of Mr. Y is a thought experiment
wrapped in a contemporary adventure novel that asks questions about thought, language, destiny, and the very limits of being and time.
It was long-listed for the Orange Prize for Fiction
in 2008, sold 150,000 copies, and won a Nibbie award for best cover.
Scarlett Thomas
Scarlett Thomas, born 1972 in Hammersmith, is an English author. She has written eight novels, including The End of Mr. Y and PopCo, and teaches Creative Writing at the University of Kent.-Biography:...
. The book tells the story of Ariel Manto, a PhD student who has been researching the 19th century writer Thomas Lumas. She finds an extremely rare copy of Lumas' novel The End of Mr. Y in a second-hand bookshop. The book is rumoured to be cursed - everyone who has read it has died not long afterwards.
Central to Lumas' book is the "Troposphere" – a place where all consciousness is connected and you can enter other people's minds and read their thoughts. The book contains the recipe for a homeopathic
Homeopathy
Homeopathy is a form of alternative medicine in which practitioners claim to treat patients using highly diluted preparations that are believed to cause healthy people to exhibit symptoms that are similar to those exhibited by the patient...
formula that Lumas' hero uses to enter the Troposphere. Manto uses the recipe to reproduce the formula and subsequently enters the Troposphere herself.
The book mentions that her surname is fictitious and based on an anagram; Ariel Manto is an anagram of I am not real.
As have Janette Turner Hospital
Janette Turner Hospital
Janette Turner Hospital is a novelist and short story writer who has lived for most of her adult life in Canada or the U.S., principally Boston , Kingston and Columbia...
and Andrew Crumey
Andrew Crumey
Andrew Crumey is a novelist and former literary editor of the Scotland on Sunday newspaper. He was born in Kirkintilloch, north of Glasgow, Scotland. He graduated with First Class Honours from the University of St Andrews and holds a PhD in theoretical physics from Imperial College, London. In...
, the writer explores the relationships between quantum physics and post-modernist and deconstructionist theory. The description of the Troposphere has been compared to the novels of Neal Stephenson
Neal Stephenson
Neal Town Stephenson is an American writer known for his works of speculative fiction.Difficult to categorize, his novels have been variously referred to as science fiction, historical fiction, cyberpunk, and postcyberpunk...
and William Gibson
William Gibson
William Gibson is an American-Canadian science fiction author.William Gibson may also refer to:-Association football:*Will Gibson , Scottish footballer...
, and shares similarities to The Matrix
The Matrix
The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
.
The End of Mr. Y is a thought experiment
Thought experiment
A thought experiment or Gedankenexperiment considers some hypothesis, theory, or principle for the purpose of thinking through its consequences...
wrapped in a contemporary adventure novel that asks questions about thought, language, destiny, and the very limits of being and time.
It was long-listed for the Orange Prize for Fiction
Orange Prize for Fiction
The Orange Prize for Fiction is one of the United Kingdom's most prestigious literary prizes, annually awarded to a female author of any nationality for the best original full-length novel written in English, and published in the United Kingdom in the preceding year...
in 2008, sold 150,000 copies, and won a Nibbie award for best cover.