A review by nigellicus
The Properties of Rooftop Air by Tim Powers

adventurous dark

5.0

And since I just finished his short story collection, might as well round it out with one that isn't collected. A particularly dim beggar has his intelligence boosted by matching him with the collective gestalt of the Spponsize Boys, Horriban the clown's miniature homonculi. I was a bit worried it was going to be an 'intelligence is unbearable!' narrative, but it ends up being an exploration of identity and conscience instead, and though ultimately tragic, it culminates with a genuinely transcendant climax atop a high wooden tower overlooking the West End of London. This was published in 2020 - Powers is still absolutely at the top of his game.