THE IDES OF AUGUST

In Williams’ novel, a doctoral student comes up with a theory that may portend the end of the human race.

The story opens on a suffocatingly hot day in August. Marty, who’s trying to complete his doctoral dissertation, has a creeping suspicion that something is not quite right beneath the surface of ordinary life. A late-night inspiration leads him to a theory that posits nature might have a mechanism to eliminate overly dominant species (“for every species and every habitat there must be a tipping point”). He writes the details down on his hand—only to discover later that his sweat has washed much of the theory away. Marty tries to reconstruct his breakthrough, but his day is interrupted by a series of slightly strange but ostensibly mundane encounters. Marty’s theory posits humanity as a “super-predator” and raises questions about whether some unknown force can restore balance. Marty comes to believe that an extinction-level correction could come in the form of climate change, disease, and other catastrophes already in motion. As the narrative progresses, the oppressive heat adds to the growing sense of impending doom. The book ends not with answers, but with the biggest question of all: If a system exists to correct for dangerous species, why should we assume that the human race is exempt? From the very first chapter, the novel blends sharp observational humor with philosophical inquiry. This engaging approach, combined with Marty being a likable, if scattered, protagonist, helps to leaven the book’s potentially oppressive intellectual material. Williams has a knack for making the book’s abstract and existential ideas feel immediate and personal, though at times the headiness can bog the action down, making for some slow reading. Still, readers who stick with it will appreciate the deft blend of literary fiction, scientific speculation, and philosophical questions about the fate of humanity.

Not an easy read, but the questions it raises will linger far beyond the end of the book.