Can a Person be Replaced?

Foe

By: Iain Reid

Grade: A

So I had been interested in Iain Reid’s last book- I’m Thinking of Ending It- and I still am but this one teased aliens, or at least space weirdness of a sort so I was like yes, I am so in!

Junior is more than happy living in the middle of nowhere with his wife Hen. It’s the future and we get the impression not a good one. One day a man shows up out of the blue to tell him he’s won a lottery to go into space.

Junior didn’t actually sign up for this lottery but that’s okay cause there’s no way out. And don’t you worry about your wife out here all by herself- cause she won’t be.

This is a short creepy novel that is probably more psychological drama/thriller than anything else. We spend it in Juniors head and I have to say my immediate fan cast for him was Adam Driver. Junior is a status quo kind of guy and a bit oblivious to what even poor Hen is thinking or wants. He’s happy and that’s all that matters. Despite occasionally wanting to punch him he’s not a bad guy by any stretch and you do wind up feeling for him.

Foe is also really about marriage and relationships as a whole. Like I said it’s a fast read because I do think once they bring up how he’s going to be replaced you pretty much know what’s going to happen. It still cuts deep though.

Reid also does a good job of balancing Junior’s thoughts, the marriage drama that he’s oblivious to, and Terrance the happy-go-lucky guy whose there to make his disappearance from his own life all the easier.

My Adam Driver cast aside this would- especially the ending- make a great movie. Very tense but fast paced and leaves you with a lot of those life questions to talk about afterward which is the very best kind of movie and book in my humble opinion 🙂

Recommend: Yes. It’s worth a read on its own but a good one to check Reid out. Though I’m definitely going to pick up his other work as well.