The Dimensions of a Cave

Jackson’s debut novel (following the story collection Prodigals) follows investigative reporter Quentin Jones, who has been put on leave to stop him from continuing his investigation into cutting-edge, covert military interrogation practices. Undaunted, Quentin continues to dig, unearthing a technology called VIRTUE, which simulates reality during interrogation. The military hopes to use the program to replace physical torture with AI and virtual reality, but the project soon takes on a life of its own. The story is told through a group of Quentin’s friends and colleagues associated with the project, who discuss government manipulation, surveillance monetization, the cruelty of humans, and the nature of power and control. Then Quentin discovers that a friend has entered the virtual world and gone rogue; in a journey that recalls Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, Quentin, too, loses himself in this alternate reality, returning with a newfound understanding of the “real” world around him. Narrator George Newbern offers a solid performance, although he provides little variety in terms of character voices. Jackson’s dense prose and arcane vocabulary slow progress through this dense and slippery story.