The World Doesn't Require You

Stories

This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
Buy on Amazon Buy on BN.com Buy on Bookshop.org
*This page contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app
Cancel
1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date Aug 20 2019 | Archive Date Jul 31 2019
General Fiction (Adult) | Multicultural Interest

Talking about this book? Use #TheWorldDoesntRequireYou #NetGalley. More hashtag tips!

Description

Established by the leaders of the country’s only successful slave revolt in the mid-nineteenth century, Cross River still evokes the fierce rhythms of its founding. In lyrical prose and singular dialect, a saga beats forward that echoes the fables carried down for generations—like the screecher birds who swoop down for their periodic sacrifice, and the water women who lure men to wet deaths. Among its residents—wildly spanning decades, perspectives, and species—are David Sherman, a struggling musician who just happens to be God’s last son; Tyrone, a ruthless PhD candidate, whose dissertation about a childhood game ignites mayhem in the neighboring, once-segregated town of Port Yooga; and Jim, an all-too-obedient robot who serves his Master. As the book builds to its finish with Special Topics in Loneliness Studies, a fully-realized novella, two unhinged professors grapple with hugely different ambitions, and the reader comes to appreciate the intricacy of the world Scott has created—one where fantasy and reality are eternally at war. Contemporary and essential, The World Doesn’t Require You is a “leap into a blazing new level of brilliance” (Lauren Groff) that affirms Rion Amilcar Scott as a writer whose storytelling gifts the world very much requires.

Established by the leaders of the country’s only successful slave revolt in the mid-nineteenth century, Cross River still evokes the fierce rhythms of its founding. In lyrical prose and singular...

Read More Read More

A Note From the Publisher

LIbraryReads votes due by 7/1 and IndieNext votes due by 6/4.

LIbraryReads votes due by 7/1 and IndieNext votes due by 6/4.

Advance Praise

“I've been a fan of Rion Amilcar Scott's for years, but I was astonished by The World Does Not Require You, which seems a leap into a blazing new level of brilliance: it is a wild, restless, deeply intelligent collection of stories, each of which resists and subverts the limits of categorization. What a beautiful book.” - Lauren Groff, author of Florida and Fates and Furies

“The World Doesn't Require You is a wholly inventive, mesmerizing, genre-bending whirlwind of a book. I am utterly blown away by Rion Amilcar Scott's boundless talent and imagination.” - Jami Attenberg, author of All Grown Up

“In the midst of a renaissance of African American fiction, Rion Amilcar Scott's stories stand at the forefront of what's possible in this vanguard. Funny, sad, and always moving, these stories explore what it means to call a place like America home when it treats you with indifference or terror. The people in these stories are unforgettable, their lives recognizable, their voices, as written by Scott, wholly original.” - Kaitlyn Greenidge, author of We Love You, Charlie Freeman

“Scott’s signature blend of tenderness and world-weary wise-cracking and magical realism buoys the reader with strength and a deeply intelligent hope. You won’t find Cross River on any map, but its people and their stories are real and solid and demand to be heard.” - Cari Luna, author of The Revolution of Every Day

“I've been a fan of Rion Amilcar Scott's for years, but I was astonished by The World Does Not Require You, which seems a leap into a blazing new level of brilliance: it is a wild, restless, deeply...

Read More Read More

Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781631495380
PRICE $25.95 (USD)
PAGES 384

Links

Additional Information

Average rating from 5 members

See all member reviews

Featured Reviews

I was hooked from the very first story. This book grabbed me and spoke to me in a way that no book has done in a truly long time.

This collection of essays covers coming of age and fables stories all wrapped into a beautiful collection that explores slavery, love, and connection mixed in with African American history and experience.

The themes are unique and powerful, often leaving me with deep thoughts and analysis.

A thought-provoking and strong collection.

Was this review helpful?

Featured Reviews

Readers who liked this book also liked:

This site uses cookies. By continuing to use the site, you are agreeing to our cookie policy. You'll also find information about how we protect your personal data in our privacy policy.