There is a book - The Men by Sandra Newman - which comes out on the same day and covers a similar topic as my own sci-fi XX - The History of Mankind.
I was in shock yesterday morning as I was not aware of this book at all (I do not live under a rock, but I am currently trying to manage an international move, so I'm hopefully excused for my ignorance). Reviews for The Men are mixed and it certainly got some flack from early reviewers, but also praise from journalists and book reviewers writing for established news outlets (e.g. The Guardian, The Spectator, Bookmunch, ...) So, what to do about that? Surely I cannot compete with a traditionally published book that already has a head-start in it's marketing campaign and stirred up a heated discussion about transphobia and feminism again. Or can I? Maybe I can hitchhike on the hype buzzing around The Men and get people interested in comparing our books? Best case scenario would be a boost for both of us. I do not want to read Ms. Newman's book, at least not at the moment, as my trilogy will edge even closer to her storyline in books 2 and 3, and I do not want to get influenced by The Men and later be called a copy-cat. But here is what I have gathered from the reviews I read in the last 24-hours: The Men is a sci-fi novel, some describing it as a gender apocalypse, where men, or rather every one with a Y-chromosome suddenly disappears. The remaining women, or XX carriers, grapple with the loss of their husbands, fathers, sons, lovers, and friends, but also adversaries and tormentors, whilst trying to rebuild society and a stable economy. The reason for the disappearance is apparently never fully explained, which is one of the points that readers criticized. On the other side, it is supposedly beautifully written and the struggle of women in our modern society well carved out. So far so good. XX - The History of Mankind is equally a sci-fi novel fitting into the sub-genre of gender apocalypse. It is mapped out as a trilogy which gives it more space to explore the different stages of the apocalypse. In the first book, the beginning of a silent pandemic that changes the way we reproduce is the focus, which explores a potential and scientifically sound scenario (with some fictional freedom) about how a gender apocalypse could start. As men do not suddenly disappear, the dynamic between people, couples, and strangers who realize what the fate of humankind will most likely be is the second driver of the story. It begs the age-old question: What is the meaning of life? I don't want to give too much away, but you can already see that the books are quite different despite having the same central premise. That is a relief for me and maybe an opportunity for you, dear reader, to add another book to your reading pile. I would love to see some reviews comparing and (probably) confirming my suspicion that The Men and XX - The History of Mankind are very different books indeed and each deserving of an audience.
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March 2023
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