Novic
An immortal considers what it means to live and die in Eugen Bacon’s speculative novella Novic.
Novic, a religious figure with the gift of immortality, leaves home to find a mentor and understand his power. He meets Brad, who poisons him, drowns him, and shoves him into a volcano in pursuit of his goal. When Novic returns to his family some time later, he is changed, more sure of himself and the significance of his power.
The balance of life and death is mirrored in the book’s structure as it alternates between Novic’s training with Brad and his boisterous family’s lives. His pregnant sister, Keela, is the primary caregiver for their disabled, dying mother and a brood of children. The clues to the timeline lie in Novic’s interactions with his nieces and nephews, who pepper him with questions about the feat of not dying. Answering them leads into stories about the many ways Brad killed him, only to nurse his unconscious body back to rebirth after.
The experience of religion is tied to Novic’s inability to die and is reflected in the language, which is dense with layered meaning and imagery, evoking a sense of deep understanding. Novic tells Brad that he wants to “get to the root” of his power; Brad assures him that the best way to do that is to “let go” and “stop trying to control it.” When Novic’s training is over, and he has not died many times over and is set on his path, these words echo under the surface: He cannot control death or life, but he can serve as a witness to others, easing and shepherding their lives forward.
Novic is a brief, thought-provoking novella that explores life and death with quiet subtlety.
Reviewed by
Dontaná McPherson-Joseph
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
