As society grinds to a halt around us, many readers find themselves at home with time on their hands, yearning to think about something—anything—beyond the daily drama of the pandemic. In this conversation, authors Jean Hegland & Susan M. Gaines discuss "nerd novels," those books whose characters, plots, and themes depend on some specialized body of knowledge. Examples include Barbara Kingsolver’s "Flight Behavior" (2012), Karen Joy Fowler’s "We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves" (2013), Marilynne Robinson’s "Gilead," and most of A.S. Byatt’s and Richard Powers’ novels. Tonight's conversation covers the concept of the nerd novel, as well as the special challenges and rewards of reading and writing them, and invites questions and discussion from the virtual audience.
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