When I started Tower I thought this would be another dystopian telling of a space stratified into classes, and the resultant class struggle see: Snowpiercer, The Platform.
In fact Bae’s novel is the opposite. It’s a witty and clever set of stories that has made me laugh and challenged what I think. The first story is a gem: researchers trying to figure out what are the power networks in the building, and deciding to gift expensive whiskeys that are microchipped and can be followed as they’re regifted - only to find out the centre of power in the building is a dog.
The true gems are the stories in the appendices - a bear achieving nirvana (when an elephant failed to earlier in the novel), a protectionist café that loses its business to a more efficient shop that sells better coffee to the detriment of the local community, and an incredibly lucid soul-searching interview with the dog previously referred to.
I find Tower original and charming, I can’t wait to read more from Bae.