I Contain Multitudes
Christopher Hawkins’s punchy speculative novel I Contain Multitudes mixes a heady multiverse concept with an intimate story of self-discovery.
Trina is on the run from a past she can’t remember. With each passing day, she finds herself in new, unfamiliar worlds. As she wanders from quirky steampunk towns to lands torn apart by war and robotic invaders, she learns that she may be the cause of these constant changes. Pursued by nightmarish wraiths and a crazed doctor who has his own secrets, Trina comes to rely on Edie, the owner of a halfway house for wayward women, and Colin, a frazzled librarian who retains memories of the previous worlds she’s experienced. Her goal: rediscover her identity and find the world where she belongs.
Told through Trina’s ever-shifting perspective, the breathless narrative bounces between different realities. Each universe is vivified using deft, tactile descriptions, from horse-and-carriage settlements to futuristic towns with flying cars, stormy seas, and apocalyptic wastelands. While reality is warped beyond easy recognition, the story maintains its grip thanks to its focus on Trina’s hopes, fears, and traumas. As she struggles towards the truth of her existence, the world-hopping scenarios come to symbolize the fractured memories of her past and possible futures. In addition to handling Trina’s tragic history with sensitivity, the book adds heft to its inventive setup via philosophical reflections on free will and how people shape their own fates. For all of its far-out trappings, the story enchants thanks to the genuine, heartfelt emotions at its core.
I Contain Multitudes is an entertaining science fiction novel about a girl’s search for meaning and belonging between worlds.
Reviewed by
Ho Lin
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