Playground

        芝加哥一所菁英高中裡，拉斐和陶德兩個個性截然不同的書呆子，因為西洋棋和圍棋結下了不解之緣。上大學後，拉斐愛上了伊娜，一個從小在太平洋海軍基地裡長大的夏威夷女孩。而他跟陶德在開發一款名為「遊戲場」的遊戲時，因意見不合而鬧翻。

       多年後，57歲的陶德被診斷患有一種名為路易氏體失智症的退化疾病，故事主線便從他斷斷續續的回憶記敘而起。拉斐、陶德和拉斐的前女友伊娜在法屬玻里尼西亞歷史悠久的馬卡提島重逢，還遇見了一位潛水好手伊芙。曾幾何時，這個小島上富藏的磷礦養活了全世界，而如今這個小小的環礁，已被選為人類一項大膽計畫的核心之地：利用這個小島，打造一座漂浮之城送進公海。但首先，必須通過島上的公民投票來核准，此計畫才能實施。

       《樹冠上》作者理察．鮑爾斯以令人敬畏的大海為故事背景，針對一塊尚未被殖民的最後淨土展開探索。作者以精湛的故事處理能力，豐富地刻畫每一個角色，並賦予高度專業的環境問題深究，用來激發讀者對於環境和人性的深思。(文／博客來外文館)

　　Longlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize

　　A magisterial new novel from the Pulitzer Prize–winning and New York Times best-selling author of The Overstory and Bewilderment.

　　Four lives are drawn together in a sweeping, panoramic new novel from Richard Powers, showcasing the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Overstory at the height of his skills. Twelve-year-old Evie Beaulieu sinks to the bottom of a swimming pool in Montreal strapped to one of the world's first aqualungs. Ina Aroita grows up on naval bases across the Pacific with art as her only home. Two polar opposites at an elite Chicago high school bond over a three-thousand-year-old board game; Rafi Young will get lost in literature, while Todd Keane's work will lead to a startling AI breakthrough.

　　They meet on the history-scarred island of Makatea in French Polynesia, whose deposits of phosphorus once helped to feed the world. Now the tiny atoll has been chosen for humanity's next adventure: a plan to send floating, autonomous cities out onto the open sea. But first, the island's residents must vote to greenlight the project or turn the seasteaders away.

　　Set in the world's largest ocean, this awe-filled book explores that last wild place we have yet to colonize in a still-unfolding oceanic game, and interweaves beautiful writing, rich characterization, profound themes of technology and the environment, and a deep exploration of our shared humanity in a way only Richard Powers can.