#11129 Mockingbird. Walter Tevis.
Walter Tevis

Mockingbird

In Walter Tevis' compelling dystopian novel Mockingbird, readers witness a world where the precious art of reading is nearly lost, usurped by a technology-obsessed society. Through the eyes of Spofforth, an ancient android grappling with an existential crisis, and Paul Bentley, a self-taught reader, the story unfolds as a poignant warning against the potential desolation of a society detached from the foundational beauty and wisdom contained in literature. Mockingbird was nominated for a Nebula Award for Best Novel. Nice copies of the first edition can be difficult to find.

Hardcover. First Edition, First Printing. Octavo, cloth-covered boards with silver lettering on spine. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1980. Nebula Award nominee (1981). ISBN: 0385149336. #11129.
Fine in fine dust jacket.

Additional Details
In Walter Tevis' harrowing dystopian novel Mockingbird, originally published in 1980, readers are transported to a bleak future where the art of reading is nearly extinct, a casualty to a society heavily reliant on computerization. The story unveils through the eyes of Spofforth, an ancient android and the Dean of New York University, who harbors a deep-seated desire to end his ceaseless existence. His life takes a turbulent turn when he encounters Paul Bentley, a self-taught reader who has unlocked the lost art of reading through a Rosetta Stone-like discovery.

Critics have praised Mockingbird for its piercing exploration of a society that has lost the desire and ability to read, a concept that strikes a chord, particularly with writers. Its dark humor narrative masterfully encapsulates the cruel yet resilient nature of mankind through the lens of an android's death wish, offering a stark warning against the dangers of a society overly reliant on technology.

Resurfacing with a new edition in 1999, accompanied by an introduction by Jonathan Lethem, Mockingbird stands as a poignant reminder of the perils that come with abandoning the nurturing essence of literature, urging readers to grasp tightly onto the beauty and knowledge encapsulated in the written word, a treasure that once lost, might spell the doom of a civilization.