Description
Vertical
Book Summary
A letter to an absent beloved begins this singular novel. Alejo, the protagonist, finds in writing his only refuge amidst an extraordinary existence. His time is divided between caring for his countless grandparents and building an increasingly tall tower to house them all. Humanity has conquered death, but a cataclysm has stopped the Earth's rotation. Now, colossal machines transport entire cities across the border between light and shadow to preserve the rhythms of life. A work of contemporary fiction that combines emotional intimacy with a dazzling science fiction premise.
What is it about?
The novel is structured around the letter that Alejo writes to his distant beloved. Through it, the reader enters a world where death has been defeated: people, instead of passing away, enter a state of prolonged decrepitude that keeps them alive practically forever. This circumstance has led Alejo to dedicate his life to the care of a multitude of grandparents, whose existence has become endless. To provide them with shelter, the protagonist is determined to ceaselessly raise the tower where they all reside. This intimate and daily setting contrasts with a cosmic backdrop: the Earth has stopped rotating. To avoid the collapse of human biological rhythms, enormous machines move entire cities, constantly shifting them between artificial day and night. The letter becomes a thread of light in that darkness, an act of resistance and memory in a world that has redefined time, life, and absence.
Main Themes
- Immortality and its consequences: how the absence of death transforms human relationships and the meaning of existence.
- Love and distance: the letter as a vehicle for communication, desire, and memory in the face of physical and emotional separation.
- The fragility of time: the stopping of the planet and the need to artificially recreate natural cycles to sustain life.
- Care and responsibility: the protagonist's dedication to his countless grandparents as the axis of his routine and conflict.
- Loneliness in a populated world: the paradox of living surrounded by immortal people and feeling profoundly alone.
Who is it recommended for?
This work is aimed at readers looking for an original narrative that fuses emotional introspection with speculative science fiction settings. It is ideal for those who enjoy stories with poetic atmospheres, existential dilemmas, and worlds built upon a single transformative premise. It will also be attractive to those interested in exploring the human consequences of immortality and the manipulation of time.
What this book offers
- A unique perspective on immortality, far from clichés and focused on the everyday life of a world without death.
- An intimate and reflective reading experience, narrated through the direct voice of a personal letter.
- An original fusion between sentimental literature and high-concept speculative fiction.
- A reflection on love, loss, and memory in a context where time has lost its natural meaning.
Technical Details
- Author: Pérez Pérez, Juan Manuel
- Publisher: Ediciones del Viento, S.L.
- Language: Spanish
- Topic: Modern and contemporary fiction
- Collection: Viento Abierto
- Binding: Paperback
- Edition date: November 2011
- Number of pages: 122
- Weight: 218 g
Editorial Review
Vertical is a literary proposal that stands out for its ability to condense a wide-reaching science fiction idea into a brief, intimately toned narrative. The premise of a world without death and a stalled planet serves as a backdrop for a story centered on the voice of a protagonist who writes so as not to lose himself. The work may interest those seeking a read that combines the emotion of a personal letter with the strangeness of an altered universe, offering an experience that invites reflection without abandoning narrative.