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Gothic Greenville and Abandoned Poinsett Hotel book - $26 (Greenville)
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In "Valley Versus Vector," the protagonist, Ellis Horning, is a nurse raised on Paris Mountain in Greenville, SC, who later relocates to Oregon. The narrative begins with a traumatic event where Ellis experiences a necrophilic rupture with a deceased patient, leading to a fracturing of his psyche. This event opens a conduit to a sentient bacterial intelligence known as the Christ Contagion, which symbolizes the intertwining of guilt, grief, and ecological themes. As Ellis navigates his psychological turmoil, he becomes involved in a hallucinatory communion with the river's divine ecology, which reconfigures his identity and desires.
The novel delves into abjection, a concept derived from the theories of Julia Kristeva, exploring how trauma and bodily transgression shape human experience. It presents a descent into the horror of becoming, set against the backdrop of the landscapes of Corvallis, Oregon, and Greenville, South Carolina. The narrative intertwines personal memory with cultural inheritance, reflecting on how historical trauma influences contemporary identity.
Jahan Brian Ihsan, the author, is known for his exploration of personal and cultural narratives, often blending mythic realism with historical trauma. His work is characterized by a sensitivity to the lingering effects of history on everyday life, particularly in the American South. Ihsan's background in comparative religion and literature informs the philosophical depth of his writing.
"Valley Versus Vector" stands out as a genre-defying work that combines elements of folk horror with psychoanalytic fiction, making it a compelling read for those interested in the intersections of trauma, identity, and ecological consciousness. The novel invites readers to reflect on the complexities of human experience through its rich narrative and thematic depth.