Tournament of Books discussion

Bats of the Republic: An Illuminated Novel, by Zachary Thomas Dodson


About the Book

Bats of the Republic features original artwork and an immaculate design to create a unique novel of adventure and science fiction, of political intrigue and future dystopian struggles, and, at its riveting core, of love.

In 1843 Chicago, fragile naturalist Zadock Thomas falls in love with the high society daughter of Joseph Gray, a prominent ornithologist. Mr. Gray sets an impossible condition for their marriage—Zadock must deliver a sealed and highly secretive letter to General Irion, fighting one thousand miles southwest, deep within the embattled and newly independent Republic of Texas. The fate of the Union lies within the mysterious contents of that sealed letter, but that is only the beginning . . .

Three hundred years later, in the dystopian city-state of the Texas Republic, Zeke Thomas has just received news of the death of his grandfather, an esteemed Chicago senator. The world has crumbled. Paper documents are banned, citizens are watched, and dissenters are thrown over the walls into "the rot." When Zeke inherits—and then loses—a very old, sealed letter from his grandfather, Zeke finds himself and the women he loves at the heart of a conspiracy whose secrets he must unravel, if it doesn't destroy his relationship, his family legacy, and the entire republic first.

The two propulsive narratives converge through a wildly creative assortment of documents, books within books, maps, notes, illustrations, and more. Zach Dodson has created a gorgeous work of art and an eye-popping commercial adventure for the 21st century.



About the Author (from the author's website)

Zach Dodson is a book designer particularly interested in visual narrative. He has designed books for many independent presses, most notably featherproof books, which he founded in Chicago in 2005.

Texan Zachary Thomas is the author and illustrator of Bats of the Republic, an illuminated novel published by Doubleday in 2015. Zach Plague wrote and designed the hybrid image/text boring boring boring boring boring boring boring in 2008. Neither should be contacted, as they exist only speculatively.

Professor Zachary Dodson teaches courses on hybrid narrative and storytelling at Aalto University in Helsinki, Finland. He is available for guest lectures or workshops on book design, visual narrative or publishing.




Other Links

• Author's website: http://www.zachdodson.com

• Review -- AV Club: "A novel with a steampunk aesthetic and a Philip K. Dick heart": http://www.avclub.com/review/novel-st...

• Review: LitReactor: https://litreactor.com/reviews/booksh...

• Review: Paste Magazine: http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles...

Have you read this one yet?? I recently received it as a gift, but have not read it yet. It is definitely a beautiful work - which is why I included the image. I think it's a book best experienced in its paper edition.

Please let us know what you think about it, and how you think it will fare in TOB16.

I was compelled to purchase it because it is so lovely.

i should have written "little cactus (or other succulent) not included", re: photo. haha!!

Jennifer wrote: "i should have written "little cactus (or other succulent) not included", re: photo. haha!!"

Yes, you should have! I was thinking I'd been cheated because I didn't get a plant.

same! haha!! like opening Building Stories -- not quite sure what to expect inside. :)

I definitely purchased this one. Drat, i like succulents because they are hard to kill.

I've read it. It's very beautiful, with thick pages and a great feel. It's easier to read than other similar books (eg "S") because it's at least linear and you don't have to skip around or read different parts of the page before continuing with the story (no marginalia). The linking of the different era's stories is inventive. In the end, though, I just wasn't engaged.

I was lucky enough to get a copy at a book convention; these days i buy very few books in hard copy that i haven't already read. I finished it the night before the shortlist came out.

I love that it made me focus on so many things that I normally ignore: the feel of the book, the weight of the paper, the choice of inks (the book is printed in sepia browns and mint greens, and is really visually stunning).

There are multiple voices in this story, and for the most part I think the author sites a great job of keeping them differentiated. But the "city-state" storyline was somewhat difficult for me to invest in; I found its writing somehow both stilted and simplistic. I loved the illustrations and the esthetic, and the "Gray" storyline I thought read believably old-fashioned, but i never really fell into the "city-state" story.

I think i might be looking forward to reading what the judge(s) say about this one more than any other, though. It's so rich.

Yes--- I liked the Gray storyline (and the old book) better than the City-State sections. I found the latter intriguing at first and then just tiresome.

I just got this from the library today (and it looks like I'm thankfully the first person to open it because the little envelop isn't even open yet). Man, what a beautiful book and I haven't even started.

It is lovely to look at and I was delighted to find a ribbon bookmark attached. My bookmarks seem to migrate away from the bedside table.

I'm halfway through this and the sketches are fantastic, plus the maps! Who doesn't love some map action? I haven't cracked it this week because I wanted enough time to spend with it... not one to pick up for a few minutes... you'd want to spend a few good hours with immersing yourself. The story is definitely intriguing and I love that it goes back and forward through time without the middle being filled in. Lots of compare and contrast between the two time periods. I love that it's a little science fiction too... since that is usually a perk for me.

Drew wrote: "It is lovely to look at and I was delighted to find a ribbon bookmark attached. My bookmarks seem to migrate away from the bedside table."

For something so meticulously designed, though, I was surprised by its color - a lone departure from the book's sepia and green palette.

Loving the physical artifact of the book – not as invested in the story as the experience of reading it, but that's valuable, too.

Susie wrote: "Drew wrote: "It is lovely to look at and I was delighted to find a ribbon bookmark attached. My bookmarks seem to migrate away from the bedside table."

For something so meticulously designed, thou..."

I agree, the baby blue was odd! Would have loved to see a mint green bookmark. But as others said, having the bookmark at all was a lovely surprise, because with all the different storylines it can be hard to find your place in if you've lost it.

The copy I read was an arc, so unfortunately, it did not have the actual envelope with the letter inside at the end. Can someone tell me what was in the envelope?

As a librarian, I just have to point out that even the cataloging-in-publication data on the verso of the title page was done as an illustration!

Drew wrote: "As a librarian, I just have to point out that even the cataloging-in-publication data on the verso of the title page was done as an illustration!"

Nice!

Dianah wrote: "The copy I read was an arc, so unfortunately, it did not have the actual envelope with the letter inside at the end. Can someone tell me what was in the envelope?"

There is a link in the book to a digital version, I just finished it today. Zachdodson.com/letter (pw OPENITNOW) It does have a safeguard that tells you not to open the pdf until you've reached a certain page. I would think the digital arc probably just included the pages in the correct order though.

I never felt invested in the story or characters, but gosh is it a beautiful book.

AmberBug wrote: "Dianah wrote: "The copy I read was an arc, so unfortunately, it did not have the actual envelope with the letter inside at the end. Can someone tell me what was in the envelope?"

There is a link i..."

Thanks for the info, AmberBug!

***SPOILERS***

Did anyone else feel weird about the scene in the tunnel when Zeke fell down and was calling to Eliza to help him? She just walked away and said "follow my voice." To me that seemed so out of character; it made me think it wasn't really Eliza, but apparently it was. Anyone have any idea what that was about?

Dianah wrote: "***SPOILERS***

Did anyone else feel weird about the scene in the tunnel when Zeke fell down and was calling to Eliza to help him? She just walked away and said "follow my voice." To me that seemed..."

I thought the "follow my voice" was really his friend and not Eliza. It confused me too though, there's a few parts of this book that get a little muddled, it might take another re-read to make sense of every little thing (unless it's like "Lost" haha).

Ah, nice catch. I didn't get that at all. I'll go back and reread that section again. Thanks!

I'm reading this now. I find it a little cloying because I can't get the idea out of my head that the author is sort of living a hipster fantasy with all the mustache and laudanum references. Nonetheless, it's a beautiful book.

I'm just starting this and have a couple of questions. I'm reading a hard copy from the library. The unopened letter you guys mentioned is in the back and it says "Do Not Open". Since this is a library copy, do I open it and try to reseal it for the next reader? Or will I just know what to do with it when I get there?

Also, the little green bat characters are already making me crazy. Do they serve a purpose? Am I going to get used to them?

Sherri wrote: "I'm just starting this and have a couple of questions. I'm reading a hard copy from the library. The unopened letter you guys mentioned is in the back and it says "Do Not Open". Since this is a lib..."

The flap is definitely "re-sealable" on the copy i bought. There will also be a website listed on that page with the same information included in the envelope.

The writing served no purpose that I could find other than design... not sure if I missed something though.

Honestly, I still don't know what I think about this book except that I might get more from a second reading. Not sure it's really worth the time but I just have a strong feeling that now that I know where the stories are going, I might enjoy the journey more. The last book I felt like this about was My Name Is Red - not that I'm comparing Dodson to Orhan Pamuk.

Sherri wrote: "I'm just starting this and have a couple of questions. I'm reading a hard copy from the library. The unopened letter you guys mentioned is in the back and it says "Do Not Open". Since this is a lib..."

I also read a library book and after the same angst, I did open it and I was able to reseal it, so I say go for it! It's worth doing rather than the website, if you can. I liked the tactile nature of the book.

Those darn green chevron-bats made me crazy for about half the book, until I just decided they didn't mean anything except that those sections don't have paragraphs, really. Once I let it go it wasn't as distracting.

Margaret wrote: "Sherri wrote: "I'm just starting this and have a couple of questions. I'm reading a hard copy from the library. The unopened letter you guys mentioned is in the back and it says "Do Not Open". Sinc..."

Thanks Margaret, that's helpful. This feels a little bit like the experience of reading The Luminaries and trying to understand the structure and use of the zodiac and moon phases to tell the story. I can't help thinking there's something significant about how the bats are being used. This article is helpful, but doesn't address the bats specifically. https://www.washingtonpost.com/entert...

So far I love the way the book is unfolding, and am expecting to enjoy the ride.

I don't do sci-fi, and I don't do dystopia. I've seen enough YA-made-into-movies with my teenagers to satisfy any need for dystopia. I immensely enjoyed The Road, however, which I would argue is at least apocalyptic if not dystopian. I do love enchanting books-as-art (or is that art-as-book?), so given those caveats, would you recommend?

As a physical object, it's gorgeous enough to rate a look. Half the book is not a dystopia.

Karin wrote: "I don't do sci-fi, and I don't do dystopia. I've seen enough YA-made-into-movies with my teenagers to satisfy any need for dystopia. I immensely enjoyed The Road, however, which I would argue is at..."

This reminded me more of the 1984 or Atwood dystopia - plus it's mixed with history, so I would think this would be fine. The book is really fun and I connected more with the history story than the future one, but the book is balanced enough to not bother me.

AmberBug wrote: "Karin wrote: "I don't do sci-fi, and I don't do dystopia. I've seen enough YA-made-into-movies with my teenagers to satisfy any need for dystopia. I immensely enjoyed The Road, however, which I wou..."

Sold. Thanks AmberBug and Christina.

I read on my kindle (multiple factors from arthritis in my thumbs to difficulties of living in a rural area to I Love My Kindle) - but this discussion has pushed me to order a "hardcopy". Sounds gorgeous -looking forward to it!!

Glad you are getting the physical copy of the book Julie! Probably 95%+ of my reading these days is on the Kindle, but I said in my review of Bats that I don't think this book should even be available in Kindle (or audio, for that matter) since the visuals and artistry of the book is a very big part of the experience. I am thinking ToB perhaps (sub?)consciously these days has a slot for a book that really should (must!) be read in-print.

This is the review I put up on GR.
I find this a difficult book to rate. The layout and structure deserve 5 stars. Maps, sketches, letters, books within books, and pullout materials abound and make the reading experience fun and imaginative. My problem was the actual story, I didn't find it that engaging. The kind where it's ok while reading but no great urge to pick it up once put down. There are two story lines, a distant past and a near future. Even though I've finished I'm not really sure what has happened, what is real and what isn't. Although not a fan of the epilogue, I almost want one here to explain it all.
So, I might not have finished had this been a regular novel, the fun and inventive way it was presented kept me going.

Susanw wrote: "This is the review I put up on GR.
I find this a difficult book to rate. The layout and structure deserve 5 stars. Maps, sketches, letters, books within books, and pullout materials abound and make..."

The way TOB has chosen to define "best fiction from 2015" has been stretched in every way this year--not just the artfulness of this book and all its pieces, but also, Oreo is NOT from 2015, and Ban en Banlieue declares that it's NOT a novel, and Story of My Teeth is supposedly NOT solely the work of the author named on the cover, but instead is written in collaboration with juice factory workers.

hmm.

I had a reaction very similar to Susanw, and I really wanted to like this book. The idea of an illuminated novel intrigued me. But neither the story nor the characters truly engaged me.

Still waiting for my copy to arrive and I am keen to see which camp I fall into.

Mentally I am now comparing it to "Building Stories" from a few years ago - and Andrea's words "The idea ... intrigued me. But neither the story nor the characters truly engaged me. perfectly describe my reaction BS! In fact it totally annoyed me that I had spent money buying it. I have officially started to worry (except that Bats sounds more artistically "me" than BS).

poingu wrote: "The way TOB has chosen to define "best fiction from 2015" has been stretched in every way this year--not just the artfulness of this book and all its pieces, but also, Oreo is NOT from 2015, and ..."
Yes! it's crazy. but very fun. Makes me feel that even if I don't 'love' everything I'm reading, I've become a better reader.

@Julie - I've held off on Building Stories for just the reasons you gave but I finally put it on hold at the library because of my positive experience with Bats. Yeah, maybe the story isn't the best on its own... but the book is a cumulative experience and better than the sum of its parts.

poingu wrote: "The way TOB has chosen to define "best fiction from 2015" has been stretched in every way this year..."

Minor qibble here: The TOB goes out of its way each year to disavow any attempt to build a "best of..." list. For example:

This year:

"So our list is no “best of the year” list. It’s simply a small amount of very good, interesting books, culled from a sea of many very good, interesting books likewise released in 2015."

And last year:

"...but our shortlist should not by any means be considered a definitive compilation of the best works of fiction from 2014."

And the year before that:

"We feel compelled to disclaim as loudly as ever that today’s announcement of the Tournament of Books shortlist is not an attempt to formalize the best 17 books of 2013."

And so on. But I do agree, this year's list seems particularly...eclectic, shall we say?

Lljones wrote: "this year's list seems particularly...eclectic, shall we say"

Shall we say ... more than eclectic!! Elasticly eclectic - it is a stretch to even label some of them eclectic and there is such a stretch of diversity!

But guess I am with Amy, in that it "makes me feel that even if I don't 'love' everything I'm reading, I've become a better reader. and also more knowledgeable about what I like and don't like, more tuned in (though these postings) to seeing (if not appreciating) what I failed to see, and certainly being taken for a rollercoaster ride of love-hate relationship with the ToB.

For me, this years Tournament is possibly a little too eclectic and I am not going all out to read the lot.

Minor qibble here:poingu wrote: "The way TOB has chosen to define "best fiction from 2015" has been stretched in every way this year..."

Minor qibble here: The TOB goes out of its way each year to disavow any attempt to build a "best of..." list. "

Right! Also it's enough to say about these choices that TOB this year is stretching to the extreme both the definition of "prose fiction" and the definition of "2015", without adding any comment at all about "best of."

I can't really decide whether I liked, loved, or hated this book. I was absolutely elated when it came in used at the half-price books where I work since it was one of the books I was most looking forward to on the list this year. I said BATS of the REPUBLIC to my roommate about 65,000 times and she hates me now. I was so nervous I'd mess up the beautiful cover that I took the dust jacket off during the whole time I was reading.

But for all that, there was something off about this book. I never really lost myself in the story or connected in any real way with either of the narratives. The drawings were mostly a fun distraction but I hated the format of the Do-Not-Read envelope which, to me at least, smacked of pretentiousness. Speaking of pretentious, was it just me or did several characters share both name and likeness with the author?

But for all that, I still enjoyed parts of the story. Maybe all of the story? So confused.

It's taking me forever to read this book, but I was really enjoying it until I hit the section that's printed on dark brown paper. Between the dark color and the two narratives side by side, it's giving me a headache andI I'm ready for it to be over.

I'm so tempted to just skip to the end and read the letter. Tell the truth, did anyone open the letter before they got to the end? :)

Sherri wrote: "did anyone open the letter before they got to the end?"

I was not quite halfway through the other night and getting bored. I encountered a clue in The Sisters Gray about what was happening that piqued my curiosity a bit, so I went ahead and opened the letter. It confirmed my suspicions and made me a little more interested in how it's all going to unfold. But it does seem to be a book that's more "about" the format than about the story or characters, both of which seem underdeveloped.

I was sorely tempted at the pages that say "OPEN IT NOW"

It's a gimmick, but not really my kind of gimmick. It's a beautiful thing, and I enjoyed that part of it. But as a novel it didn't do much for me.

I loved this book and devoured it over a two-day period, although I realize that the "gimmick" might not appeal to everyone. For me, it brought back memories of reading The People of Paper by Salvador Plascencia, another book where the book's layout and design plays a major role in how it's read.