Upon seeing so much glowing praise for Telluria, I had to read a Sorokin asap, and that’s how I ended up with The Blizzard. I certainly don’t regret this introduction to his works, seeing how well it has worked out for me.

Knowing what Telluria is about, there seems to be several thematic parallels in Sorokin’s works, which I’m excited to discover as I read through them over time. His futuristic but also somewhat past-time-y setting was a delight to read here, as was the sort of funny vision of a fantastic future with giants, “zoogenous” fabrics, and strange drugs. As such, it’s also impossible to miss the inspiration Dune must have given Sorokin.

The Blizzard is very plot-heavy, and it’s rare that I find such books to be perfect. But Sorokin is great at pacing, doesn’t let things drag on to the point of boredom, and balances the strange and the realistic in a most compelling way. You never know the direction the book is taking, and so I won’t ruin it with many details, which also means not revealing the book’s message.

For circumstances out of my hands, it took me several days to read, but The Blizzard is one of those books that just glide … like oil? You’ll get the reference once you read it, which you can easily do in one sitting is what I’ve been trying to say!