I’ve been itching to read more dark sci-fi books, and 21 Grams fits the bill nicely. If you like Black Mirror and/or anything written by Philip K. Dick, you’ll enjoy this book. Let me start off by saying that this isn’t the book version of the 2003 film. It does, however, highlight a similar motif.

21 Grams was published by Timber Ghost Press in July 2021. Here’s the back-cover summary:

In the bowels of an unassuming, ever-moving funerary parlor, a mortician known as the Operator hides a fearsome machine called the Godwin, rumored to have the ability to resurrect the dead. It runs, like a soul does, on logos: on words. And in exchange for those words—for a client’s life story—the corpse of their choosing might yet walk again. Careful, though. Words bear weight, so one must choose them wisely. Author M. Regan delivers a harrowing and beautiful glimpse into a world filled with desire, darkness, love, and loss.

The title of the book refers to the alleged weight of a human soul, as determined by a 1907 scientific study. In it, a Massachusetts physician named Duncan MacDougall weighed bodies before and after death to determine how much mass had been lost at death. Although this scientific study is widely regarded as flawed and has not been repeated, this weight of a soul persists to this day as seen in various literary and pop culture references.

This book, 21 Grams, is beautifully written. The prose is a little more florid than I prefer, but it did not diminish my enjoyment of the book as a whole. Although I found some concepts and imagery difficult to latch onto, upon further reading and review, I made sense of them and developed an appreciation for them.

21 Grams consists of different parts, including “21 Pages,” “21 Bytes,” and “21 Minutes.” Although each tale presented in the novella is unique, they are all tied together by a stunning dark truth (which I won’t be spoiling here). If you enjoy philosophy and deep discussions of existential and metaphysical ideas, you’ll love every second of this book.

I also appreciated the queer representation. This book includes queer characters struggling with gender and gender dysphoria, sexuality, and more. Everything is handled well and with the utmost respect, while still feeling true to life and relevant to the story. I can’t say enough good things about the representation in this book.

If you want to experience 21 Grams for yourself, you can purchase the book in paperback or ebook form on Amazon. You can also follow the author on Facebook and Twitter, and check out their website here. This novel was my first read from M. Regan, and it certainly won’t be my last.

What book should I read next?

My own book, an adult vampire novella called Mouth Full of Ashes, was released on October 4. You can order it here! Thanks so much for your support.