Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore
 | |
| Author | Robin Sloan |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Rodrigo Corral |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Novel |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
Publication date | 2012 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover, Paperback) |
| Pages | 288 pp (US Hardcover) |
| ISBN | 978-0374214913 |
| OCLC | 778422009 |
| 813/.6 | |
| LC Class | PS3619.L6278 M7 2012 |
| Preceded by | Ajax Penumbra 1969 |
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore is a 2012 novel by American writer Robin Sloan. It was chosen as one of the best 100 books of 2012 by the San Francisco Chronicle,[1] was a New York Times Editor's Choice,[2] and was on the New York Times Hardcover Fiction Best Seller list[3] as well as the NPR Hardcover Fiction Bestseller List.[4] The US book cover, which glows in the dark, was done by Rodrigo Corral and chosen as one of the 25 best book covers for 2012 by BookPage.[5][6][7]
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore combines elements of fantasy, mystery, friendship and adventure as a way of looking at the modern conflict and transition between new technology (electronic) and old (print books). The protagonist is a laid-off Silicon Valley tech worker who begins working at a dusty bookstore with very few customers, only to start discovering one secret after another. The mysterious old books, along with the store's owner, lead to a 500-year-old secret society.[8]
A prequel novelette, Ajax Penumbra 1969, was published in 2012.
He was inspired to write the story after a friend misread a sign claiming the existence of a "24 hour bookshop".[9]
Notes
- ^ McMurtrie, John (December 21, 2012). "Best books of 2012: 100 recommended books". San Francisco Chronicle. Hearst Communications. Retrieved 22 December 2012.
- ^ "Editor's Choice". New York Times Sunday Book Review. December 21, 2012. Retrieved 22 December 2012.
- ^ "New York Times Hardcover Fiction Best Seller list for October 28, 2012". New York Times. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
- ^ "Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore". National Public Radio. Retrieved 22 December 2012.
- ^ "'Mr. Penumbra' Bridges The Digital Divide". NPR. Retrieved 22 December 2012.
- ^ "25 best book jackets of 2012". Book Page. Retrieved 22 December 2012.
- ^ "Book Review: "Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore"". PhiloBiblos. November 26, 2012. Retrieved 22 December 2012.
- ^ Maslin, Janet (November 7, 2012). "Google Aces Can't Defeat Bibliophiles 'Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore' by Robin Sloan". New York Times. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
- ^ Bilton, Nick (October 12, 2012). "One on One: Robin Sloan, Author and 'Media Inventor'". Bits Blog. The New York Times. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
External links
- Author's website
- New York Times Sunday Book Review
- New York Times review
- Boston Globe review
- The Hindu review
- Slate review
- BookLore review
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