Talking To Emily St. John Mandel About Revision, Timeline Corruption, And Living Without A Floor
Defector • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Emily St. John Mandel’s new novel Exit Party is set in a post-apocalyptic America after a second Civil War, exploring parallel universes with contrasting dystopian realities, blending hope with chaos and new beginnings.
- The story centers on Ari, a former villain from Mandel’s earlier work, who emerges into a changed world after prison, serving as a lens to explore themes of time, memory, and identity across multiple interconnected characters.
- Mandel draws inspiration from current political divisions and speculative fiction concepts like parallel worlds and time travel, focusing more on character responses than scientific details, emphasizing the human element in extreme scenarios.
- The novel features a recurring physical artwork, the painting "Swan Dive," which acts as a thematic through-line connecting characters and universes, symbolizing art’s endurance and significance over time.
- Despite the dark premise, Mandel stresses that Exit Party carries a tone of hope, humor, and resilience throughout, reflecting her interest in the aftermath of disaster rather than disaster itself.
