American Elsewhere by Robert Jackson Bennett

Published by Orbit on February 12, 2013 

Robert Jackson Bennett is a masterful creator of unclassifiable fiction. Is American Elsewhere science fiction, fantasy, or a horror story? Is it a crime novel? A mystery? A satire? Is it an allegory of insular life in small town America, a commentary on intolerance of outsiders? A send-up of the illusory wholesomeness of small town life? A wry take on motherhood and dysfunctional families? Maybe it's a conundrum wrapped in a paradox soaked in a one hundred proof fever dream. Fortunately, you don't have to categorize American Elsewhere to enjoy it.

The quirky residents of Wink know there are places in Wink you just don't go. It's best, in fact, to stay inside at night. You might want to gaze at the moon, but you're never really sure whose sky it's in. You don't ever go into the woods because you might encounter ... well, nobody in Wink really wants to talk about that. Other things about Wink are strange -- rooms you enter that keep going forever, mirrors that relocate the objects they reflect, the way time is broken (or maybe it's just bruised). People don't want to talk about that either. In fact, they can't, under penalty of ... well, they can't talk about the penalty, but you wouldn't want to experience it.

Mona Bright, a former cop, can barely remember her mother. When her father dies, she is surprised to learn that she has inherited her mother's house -- surprised to learn that the house exists, in a town she's never heard of in New Mexico. Mona's mother worked for a lab outside of Wink that did research into quantum states. These days, Wink is difficult to find, as Mona discovers when she searches for it. She arrives just in time to disrupt the funeral of Mr. Weringer, Wink's most popular resident and a victim (if you believe the rumors) of homicide. When a second murder occurs, Mona is called upon to use her skills to find the killer, although Mona's true purpose for being in Wink (which she does not learn until late in the novel) is much more personal. As Mona tries to learn about the mother she remembers only as a mentally ill woman who disappeared, no Winkian she meets can remember ever meeting the woman ... or if they do, they don't want to talk about it.

Layered over Mona's search for her mother's past is the story of a drug dealing roadhouse owner who follows mysterious orders issued by a stock ticker. There's also the story of Mr. First, who lives in a desolate canyon just outside of town. Most of the people in Wink want nothing to do with Mr. First, but there's this young waitress named Gracie ....

So if you're wondering, American Elsewhere is really more science fiction than fantasy (there's a science-based explanation for the oddness of Wink) but with its elements of horror and humor and crime, it's still difficult to pigeonhole. The novel is lengthy -- half of it is gone before things start to become clear, and then only in a fuzzy way -- but Bennett is such an engaging writer that every page is a joy to read. His prose is literary but lively, without the slightest hint of pretention. The creepy atmosphere Bennett manufactures is stunning. Every character is so meticulously crafted you would think they are carved out of scrimshaw. The reader never quite knows where the story is going, but Bennett, to his credit, does. His careful plotting assures that not a word is wasted, despite the novel's length. American Elsewhere is full of unexpected occurrences, but like the residents of Wink, I don't want to talk about them. It's much better if you discover them for yourself.

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