Ali Smith tells of a shadow on the road
Glyph riffs on all manner of subjects from tinnitus to phantom limb syndrome, AI, metaphysics and the dangers of weedkiller.
Last year Ali Smith published Gliff, a dystopian tale, with the promise of a companion novel to follow. Rather than being anything so obvious as a prequel or sequel, Glyph is “in conversation” with its predecessor, leaving the reader to draw out thematic links. Where Gliff was set in the near future, Glyph is immediately dateable to 2025 by its contemporary references. Briar and Rose, the adolescent siblings of the earlier novel, are here matched by the warring adult sisters, Petra and Patricia.
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