- Morgan R.
- Wednesday, October 11, 2023
“Humanity is a virus destined to destroy all existence. And he is the Cure.” -Atlantic Monthly Press
Walter Mosley's latest novella, Touched, is told by Martin Just, a man who awakes after a millennia-long sleep and reenters his previous life to a landscape of chaos where he is one of 107 chosen individuals who are to be the cure to the virus that is the human race. With his newfound dual personality, Martin (aka Temple) violently defends his family against the pure evil plaguing Hollywood Hills and beyond. This ambitious novella picks apart humanity’s willingness to categorize big ideas: life and death, good and evil, peaceful and violent and asks the question, “what is the natural state of the universe?”
"All beings die, I thought. But then I wondered. I was the philosopher in the unacustomed role of warrior, whose reflex was still the realm of thought."
Touched begins with Martin, a Black man living in the almost all-white neighborhood of Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, waking up to cops in his backyard yelling at him with guns raised. He has awoken nude on his balcony in the presence of a little girl and gets carted away to jail for indecent exposure. While in jail, he must confront a white supremacist who threatens his life and dignity and ends up in the web of legal affairs. While this storyline takes a backseat to the bigger plot, the themes of racial inequality and an unjust legal system continue throughout giving the reader philosophical inquiries to ponder beyond the last page.
This novella is a leap from Mosley’s most famous works, the gritty detective Easy Rawlins mystery series, but includes enough of his signature social, political, and economic commentaries to appease any of his fans.
Walter Mosley’s wildly successful career spans over 4 decades, more than 60 critically acclaimed books of multiple genres, and even screenwriting for the big (and small) screens. His cinematic hardboiled mysteries mostly feature Black characters who grapple with the day-to-day challenges of life. Known primarily as one of the top crime fiction authors of our time with a sharp eye for social and racial commentary, he often dabbles in the world of science fiction.
TOUCHED, WHAT THE CRITICS ARE SAYING:
“Equal parts body horror and necromancy, the book has cinematic fast cuts and an explosive pace that make it read like a Black Mirror episode set against the Hollywood Hills...Fast-moving action and jaw-dropping twists move this slim volume along at a dizzying rate.” --Kirkus Reviews
"Mosley’s latest is a weird, philosophical book that packs a lot into fewer than 200 pages, exploring racial inequality, an unjust justice system, family relationships, and expansive ideas about the nature of humanity. A new book from Edgar-winning Mosley is always big news, even when he ventures beyond crime fiction." --Booklist Reviews
A FEW OF MOSLEY'S AWARDS:
O. Henry Award
The Mystery Writers of America’s Grand Master Award
A Grammy®
Several NAACP Image awards
PEN America’s Lifetime Achievement Award
In 2020, he was named the recipient of the Robert Kirsch Award for lifetime achievement from Los Angeles Times Festival of Books.
A FEW OF MOSLEY'S SCREENWRITING CREDITS:
Fallen Angels: Fearless, writer, 1 episode (1995) (TV)
Devil in a Blue Dress, writer/associate producer (1995)
Always Outnumbered, writer/executive producer (1998) (TV)
Masters of Science Fiction, writer, episode “Little Brother” (2007) (TV)
Snowfall, consulting producer/writer, 20 episodes (2018-2020) (TV)
Killing Johnny Fry, writer/producer, announced
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This title is also available for immediate download as an eBook on Hoopla
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