M. John Harrison Wins the Booker Prize
It came as a surprise on the night. “The End of Everything” is a slim, poetic book centred on a post-apocalyptic coastal England, that won the Booker prize, Britain’s most important literary award on November 9th, with the help of M. John Harrison (pictured). The surprise wasn’t only that two former Booker winners Marlon James and Douglas Stuart were the favourites when they came into the ceremony. It was also because, as Gaby Wood, the chief executive of the Booker Prize Foundation, said, Mr Harrison had become “the first Booker winner to have come from the bona fide [science-fiction] world”.
The Story Behind “The End of Everything”
The End of Everything is about a scavenger who pulls a mysterious artefact from the sea, named Philip. Gradually over time developing and morphing shapes as the boy cares for them, until eventually it takes on a humanoid form. Philip’s aunt Marnie, a formidable and old artist, helps (and sometimes teases) him. The artefact is somehow linked to another species from “the astral plane” named iGhetti who have colonised the earth by unknown reasons. It looks like a threatening alien species, but you don’t really know what the iGhetti want, or who they are. It appears that they were involved in the demise of society.
A Post-Apocalyptic World of Violence and Uncertainty
The novel doesn’t reveal the extent of the breakdown of civilisation. Finally, characters stand in line to get on the boat, presumably to sail somewhere less grim than England. A lot of killing and violence! These acts are described in a very subtle manner, suggesting that such terror is prevalent.
The Politics of the Present Through the Lens of the Future
It’s a Booker winner for dark days of night, then. The chair of the judges, Mary Beard, was so bold as to say “this is the politics of now seen through the lens of the future.” Mr Harrison said the novel was something he was inspired by by the global financial crisis of 2007-09, “so what happens when all of our expectation and explanations of the world become an ongoing disaster but we still have to make a life?”
A Strange and Original Literary Experience
The novel manages to be a rare combination of holding the reader in thrall, unsettling, confusing and charming all at once. Mr Harrison is an exceptionally vivid writer; the book has the weirdness of a fever dream. It is a book for fans of Edgar Allan Poe, China Miéville and Jeff VanderMeer—whether fans or not, anyone should pick it up! It’s a truly strange and original piece of art, and a reminder that novels can be non-domestic and still be humane, short and still be profound.
M. John Harrison’s Contribution to Science Fiction
Mr Harrison is a 81-year-old winner of the prize, the oldest of all time. Now, it is indeed a lifetime achievement award as Mr Harrison has written and edited innovative science fiction for decades. But it’s a victory especially notable for marking the literary establishment’s increased acceptance of genre fiction. The Booker was won by two speculative novels in 2019 (by Margaret Atwood) and 2023 (by Paul Lynch). The bleak narrative behind that change is that literature is no longer the main attraction in the cultural landscape, and genre is not as important. Reading novels is a precious, unusual pastime and I don’t think it makes sense to say that someone who reads a lot of novels, say, Stephen King or N.K. Jemisin, is mean to someone who reads a lot more of them, say, Sir Salman Rushdie or Ian McEwan, because the latter was born in 1962.
Read This Story Aloud or Soft Play It
Read this story aloud or soft play it.
AI Narrated
SURPRISE WAS THE EXPERIENCE ON THAT NIGHT! M. John Harrison (pictured here) was awarded the prestigious Booker Prize (Britain’s greatest literary award) on 9th November for his slim, poetic, story set in post-apocalyptic coastal England, “The End of Everything”. But it was not only that two Beatles of the Booker Prize – Marlon James and Douglas Stuart – were the favourites on the eve of the ceremony. It was also due to the fact, said Gaby Wood, chief executive of the Booker Prize Foundation, that Mr Harrison was “the first Booker winner to have come from the bona fide [science-fiction] world”.
Philip and the Mysterious Artefact
“The End of Everything” is a story about a scavenger named Philip and his retrieval of a strange artefact from the sea. It comes alive and gradually changes shape and grows as he takes care of it, until it looks like a human being. Philip is supported (and sometimes teased) by his grand Aunt Marnie who is an old but vigorous artist. The artefact is somehow linked to the iGhetti, a species from the “astral plane,” who made their home on Earth for an unknown reason. The alien species seems minatory, but it is never clear what the iGhetti want or who they are. They appear to have contributed to the demise of the society.
The Breakdown of Civilisation and Its Consequences
The novel does not tell us exactly how prevalent the breakdown of civilisation is. One character has to wait in line to get on board, presumably to go somewhere else that isn’t as bleak. Lots of violence and killing. Such terror is suggested by the unadorned language used to describe these acts.
A Booker Prize Novel for Dark Times
It’s a Booker for dark times, then. Chair of judges Mary Beard even went so far as to say “this is the politics of now viewed through the prism of the future.” The 2007-09 global financial crisis was a catalyst for Mr Harrison’s writing of the novel; he said he was motivated to write because of “what happens when all of our expectations and explanations of the world become an ongoing disaster, but we still have to make a life?”
A Novel That Keeps Readers Unsettled and Charmed
What the novel does do is sustain the reader’s attention and keep him or her on his guard – not just confused, but unsettled and charmed as well. Mr Harrison is an extraordinarily colorful writer; the book is like a fever dream. It’s a must-read for fans of Edgar Allan Poe, China Miéville and Jeff VanderMeer, but even those who aren’t a fan of sci-fi can enjoy it. It’s an original and odd work of art and a reminder that novels don’t have to be domestic to be humane or long to be profound.
The Growing Acceptance of Genre Fiction
Mr Harrison is 81, the oldest ever winner of the prize. Well, it is as if a lifetime achievement award in a sense, because for decades, Mr Harrison has been authoring and editing ingenious science fiction. But his triumph is especially notable because of its focus on how the literary establishment is increasingly accepting of genre fiction. In 2019, speculative novels by Margaret Atwood and Paul Lynch were the Booker winners, and that honour is to be repeated in 2023. The sad reason for that change is that with the disintegration of the centre of cultural life, genre becomes unimportant. Reading novels is a hobby that a few people do, and to look down on an avid reader for reading a Stephen King novel over a Sir Salman Rushdie or an Ian McEwan novel seems idiotic and unkind.
Great Writers Exist in Every Genre
The better hope is that the literati have come to realize that great writers do exist in every genre. Mr Harrison, however, is not less talented for his choice of science fiction over literary realism, or family sagas over, the stuff of the canon for centuries. It doesn’t mean all writers of thrillers or romantasy should begin to free up room on their shelves for literary awards. However, the best ones can — and should. Mr Harrison contended that the category of genres as “boxes and fences and pigeonholes” was “over”.
