Big Machine

Victor LaValle's "Big Machine" plunges readers into the surreal and unsettling world of Ricky Rice, a former hustler and survivor of a suicide cult, haunted by his past and struggling with a lingering drug habit. Scraping by as a bus depot porter in Utica, New York, Ricky's life takes an extraordinary turn with the arrival of a mysterious letter. This summons leads him to a clandestine organization of paranormal investigators, a motley crew comprised entirely of ex-addicts and petty criminals. What unites these disparate individuals is a shared, profound experience: each believes they once heard the voice of God amidst their personal turmoil. As Ricky is drawn deeper into their enigmatic mission, the novel navigates themes of faith, doubt, and the psychological 'monsters' that reside within us all. LaValle masterfully blends the disquieting wonder of a dream with a sharp, fiendishly comic sensibility, creating a mind-rattling mystery that is both profoundly human and uniquely strange.