The endless vessel A novel

After a traumatizing opening scene in which the Louvre is deliberately destroyed, Soule (Anyone, 2019) reveals a dying world. The Grey has caused a massive shift in society, affecting more than a quarter of the world's population with its three flavors: severe depression, suicide, or a twisted joy manifesting as mania. Those afflicted with the latter version rally behind Aunt Jane and her Team Joy Joy as they work to spread the Grey by destroying humanity's art and history. On the opposite end of that is Lily Barnes, whose purpose is climate-change mitigation, until suddenly her boss finds a miracle solution and lays her off. In her resulting shock, she investigates the solution, leading her to a mysterious group that refers to itself as the Wonder Path and eventually to the more secretive Lazarenes, whose ship has been at sea for a couple centuries. Soule captures the despair and loneliness of people struggling to survive in a damaged world, stringing eager readers along until the very end.

At the beginning of this hugely entertaining near-future dystopian thriller from comic book writer Soule (Anyone), the Louvre is burning, along with the priceless treasures within. It's the handiwork of a group called Team Joy Joy, whose mission is to eradicate anything giving people pleasure or hope; objects in their crosshairs include art, food, books, and jobs. Many of its members are afflicted with a malady called The Grey, a clinical depression that manifested in the years after the Covid-19 pandemic and infected 27% of the world's population. British-born Lily Barnes, a materials engineer living in Hong Kong, uncovers a mysterious piece of technology that may help slow the spread of The Grey, and her quest to uncover its secrets begins a suspense-laden trek across time and space that leads her to a ship harboring all of humanity's memories and puts the fate of the human race on the line. Rich characters and a full-throttle plot, plus a solid finale, elevate this page-turner. It's a winner. Agent: Seth Fishman, Gernert Company. (June)