The Epiphany Machine

By David Burr Gerrard | Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group

About the book

*Best New Science Fiction for Summer by The Washington Post
*A Most-Anticipated book of 2017 by The Millions


Everyone else knows the truth about you, now you can know it, too.
 
That’s the slogan. The product: a junky contraption that tattoos personalized revelations on its users’ forearms. It’s an old con, playing on the fear that we are obvious to everybody except ourselves. This particular ad has been circulating New York since the 1960s and it works. But, oddly enough, so might the device...

A small stream of city dwellers buy into this cult of the epiphany machine, including Venter Lowood’s parents. This stigma follows them when they move upstate, where Venter can’t avoid the whispers of teachers and neighbors any more than he can ignore the machine’s accurate predictions: his mother’s abandonment and his father’s disinterest. So when Venter’s grandmother finally asks him to confront the epiphany machine and inoculate himself against his family’s mistakes, he’s only too happy to oblige.

Like his parents before him, Venter is quick to fall under the spell of the device’s sweat-stained, profane, and surprisingly charming operator, Adam Lyons. But unlike them, Venter gets close enough to Adam to learn a dark secret. There’s an undeniable pattern between specific epiphanies and violent crimes. And Adam won’t jeopardize the privacy of his customers by alerting the police.

It may be a hoax, but that doesn’t mean what Adam is selling isn’t also spot-on. And in this sprawling, snarling tragicomedy about accountability in contemporary America, the greater danger is that Adam Lyon’s apparatus may just be right about us all. This is \"can't-miss pop culture.\"(Vox)

Editions of The Epiphany Machine

Hardcover
ISBN 9780399575433
EBook
ISBN 9780399575440
AudioStreaming
ISBN 9781524775735
AudioStreaming
ISBN 9781524775742

Read an Excerpt

*Best New Science Fiction for Summer by The Washington Post
*A Most-Anticipated book of 2017 by The Millions


Everyone else knows the truth about you, now you can know it, too.
 
That’s the slogan. The product: a junky contraption that tattoos personalized revelations on its users’ forearms. It’s an old con, playing on the fear that we are obvious to everybody except ourselves. This particular ad has been circulating New York since the 1960s and it works. But, oddly enough, so might the device...

A small stream of city dwellers buy into this cult of the epiphany machine, including Venter Lowood’s parents. This stigma follows them when they move upstate, where Venter can’t avoid the whispers of teachers and neighbors any more than he can ignore the machine’s accurate predictions: his mother’s abandonment and his father’s disinterest. So when Venter’s grandmother finally asks him to confront the epiphany machine and inoculate himself against his family’s mistakes, he’s only too happy to oblige.

Like his parents before him, Venter is quick to fall under the spell of the device’s sweat-stained, profane, and surprisingly charming operator, Adam Lyons. But unlike them, Venter gets close enough to Adam to learn a dark secret. There’s an undeniable pattern between specific epiphanies and violent crimes. And Adam won’t jeopardize the privacy of his customers by alerting the police.

It may be a hoax, but that doesn’t mean what Adam is selling isn’t also spot-on. And in this sprawling, snarling tragicomedy about accountability in contemporary America, the greater danger is that Adam Lyon’s apparatus may just be right about us all. This is \"can't-miss pop culture.\"(Vox)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is The Epiphany Machine about?

*Best New Science Fiction for Summer by The Washington Post
*A Most-Anticipated book of 2017 by The Millions


Everyone else knows the truth about you, now you can know it, too.
 
That’s the slogan. The product: a junky contraption that tattoos personalized revelations on its users’ forearms. It’s an old con, playing on the fear that we are obvious to everybody except ourselves. This particular ad has been circulating New York since the 1960s and it works. But, oddly enough, so might the device...

A small stream of city dwellers buy into this cult of the epiphany machine, including Venter Lowood’s parents. This stigma follows them when they move upstate, where Venter can’t avoid the whispers of teachers and neighbors any more than he can ignore the machine’s accurate predictions: his mother’s abandonment and his father’s disinterest. So when Venter’s grandmother finally asks him to confront the epiphany machine and inoculate himself against his family’s mistakes, he’s only too happy to oblige.

Like his parents before him, Venter is quick to fall under the spell of the device’s sweat-stained, profane, and surprisingly charming operator, Adam Lyons. But unlike them, Venter gets close enough to Adam to learn a dark secret. There’s an undeniable pattern between specific epiphanies and violent crimes. And Adam won’t jeopardize the privacy of his customers by alerting the police.

It may be a hoax, but that doesn’t mean what Adam is selling isn’t also spot-on. And in this sprawling, snarling tragicomedy about accountability in contemporary America, the greater danger is that Adam Lyon’s apparatus may just be right about us all. This is \"can't-miss pop culture.\"(Vox)

What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in The Epiphany Machine?

Fiction > Fiction: literary and general non-genre

Where can I read a sample of The Epiphany Machine?

You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780399575433

Who is/are the Author/s of the book The Epiphany Machine?

David Burr Gerrard

Who is the Publisher of the book The Epiphany Machine?

Penguin Publishing Group

What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?

The Epiphany Machine is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780399575433) and ebook(ISBN 9780399575440) and audiostreaming(ISBN 9781524775735) and audiostreaming(ISBN 9781524775742)

Where can I buy The Epiphany Machine online or support local independent bookshops?

You can buy The Epiphany Machine from below

Where can I buy The Epiphany Machine?