Goliath

More about the book

A New York Times Editors' Choice Pick and a Best Book of the Year for multiple outlets, this ambitious novel presents a crumbling future America where gentrifiers return from space colonies to a devastated Earth. In his adult debut, Tochi Onyebuchi, a celebrated author with numerous accolades, crafts a sweeping science fiction narrative reminiscent of Samuel R. Delany and Station Eleven. Set in the 2050s, the story unfolds as privileged individuals abandon the great cities for the comfort of space, leaving behind those who struggle to survive amidst a collapsing infrastructure. As neighborhoods are dismantled and homes sent to the colonies, the remnants serve as haunting reminders of a world lost. The narrative intertwines various perspectives: a space-dweller seeking reconnection in New Haven, laborers striving to revive their communities, a journalist documenting urban violence, and a marshal investigating a kidnapping. This richly urgent mosaic explores themes of race, class, gentrification, and the complexities of heroism in a fractured society. With moments of beauty and humor woven throughout, the novel invites readers to reflect on the consequences of privilege and the resilience of those left behind.