The Smoke

Simon Ings' The Smoke explores themes of love, loss, and loneliness within a fractured, incomprehensible world where humanity has split into three species, amid mounting tensions for space exploration and an impending war. The story follows a journey back to Yorkshire and a life that has been left behind, only to find oneself irresistibly drawn back to the familiar and the past. Despite a resolve to forget love, the narrative suggests that love remains an inescapable force.