I wasn't sure what to expect with this book and in some ways I'm still not entirely sure what I got, but I can tell you I enjoyed it! This edition started with a foreword from Christopher Priest talking about slipstream media and how this book is a great piece of slipstream writing. It's not a term I really knew about but having read his extensive explanation and then the book I completely understand what he meant and why it's such an interesting style. I did stop reading the foreword at the point he started talking about what happens in the story though and came back to it afterwards because I didn't want spoilers haha. I loved the way this was written leaving so much of it up to the interpretation of the reader. I know I've said in the past that that annoys me but it depends on the genre and what the book is aiming for. This book intentionally slips in and out of reality, or maybe it only slips between different unrealities. We have to decide for ourselves which bits we think are real, if any, and since our main character himself is often unsure if what he thinks is happening is actually happening too we get to see it truly from his POV without extra reader benefits. This was a great tale of obsession and I thought portrayed it really well. I've seen reviews saying they think the girl was super characterless or that they don't understand why he even likes her but I think that's the whole point! The girl isn't meant to be a whole character, she's just an idea, a placeholder to represent any obsession. I could say I don't understand the attraction of cigarettes; they don't taste good and they harm you. But that doesn't stop countless people being addicted to them. The reason why isn't as important as the fact that, for whatever reason, she does have this unexplainable hold over him and no matter how many times he decides to give up searching for her, he always ends up searching for her anyway. Plus, is the girl even real? Maybe she literally has no character. It's genuinely hard to decide. All of this set to the beautifully haunting landscape of an icy world, on the brink of an impending global emergency. Showcasing the different ways in which people handle something like this, as well as global war. I loved the contrast between some of the places he visits, making for a very surreal experience. And of course, who knows how much of any of it is real.