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book cover of 

Solitaire 

by

Kelley EskridgeSolitaire (2002)
A novel by Kelley Eskridge

 
Awards
Nebula (nominee)
The Barnes & Noble Review
One of the notable SF debuts of recent years, which the publisher describes as "Cast Away meets The Matrix," betrays an intelligence, depth, and emotional richness far beyond such a catchy summary. Solitaire tells the story of Ren "Jackal" Segura and of the highly structured, near-future society that shapes and controls her destiny. A series of incidents leads to her arrest, conviction, and forced participation in an experimental form of punishment known as virtual confinement (VC). In VC, the comatose subject is imprisoned in a colorless, constricted virtual environment in which time itself stretches and slows. In less than one real-time year, Jackal endures the virtual equivalent of several years of unbroken solitude. Jackal's experiences in VC -- her near capitulation to madness and despair, her creation of a doorway to a brighter, more expansive world, and her subsequent, painful reemergence form the heart of this beautifully detailed, sometimes harrowing account of courage, cruelty, and survival.



Solitaire may not be a perfect novel -- the social and historical context of the story seems, at times, slightly underdeveloped -- but it's still a powerful, affecting book that seems far too accomplished to be anyone's first novel. The finest sequences in Solitaire -- the intimate descriptions of virtual confinement, the portraits of daily life in a business-oriented community, the empathetic account of Jackal's gradual integration into a society inhabited by outcasts like herself -- have the quality of actual, felt life. Kelley Eskridge's precise, nuanced language, her obvious affection for her characters, and her ability to convey the essence of extreme experiences distinguish the narrative at every turn, lifting it into a class and category all its own. Eskridge is clearly a writer with great gifts and seemingly limitless potential. She has written a remarkable, moving novel that is difficult to set aside, and equally difficult to forget. Bill Sheehan

Genre: Science Fiction
 
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Used availability for Kelley Eskridge's Solitaire


See all available used copies of this book at: Abebooks UK or Abebooks US
 

 

Hardback Editions

September 2002 : Hardback
Cover of ISBN: B000F6Z5TKTitle: Solitaire
Author(s): Kelley Eskridge
Availability: Amazon   Amazon UK   
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September 2002 : Hardback
Cover of ISBN: 0060088575Title: Solitaire
Author(s): Kelley Eskridge
ISBN: 0-06-008857-5 / 978-0-06-008857-6 (USA edition)
Publisher: Eos
Availability: Amazon   Amazon UK   Amazon CA   
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Paperback Editions

January 2024 : Mass Market Paperback
Title: Solitaire
Author(s): Kelley Eskridge
ISBN: 0-380-80118-3 / 978-0-380-80118-3 (USA edition)
Publisher: HarperCollins Canada / Mass Market
Availability: Amazon   Amazon CA   
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January 2011 : Paperback
Cover of ISBN: 1931520100Title: Solitaire: a novel
Author(s): Kelley Eskridge
ISBN: 1-931520-10-0 / 9781931520102 (USA edition)
Publisher: Small Beer Press
Availability: Amazon   Amazon UK   Amazon CA   
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January 2004 : Paperback
Title: Solitaire : A Novel
Author(s): Kelley Eskridge
Publisher: Eos
Availability: Amazon   Amazon UK   
More details...

January 2004 : Paperback
Cover of ISBN: 0060086602Title: Solitaire: A Novel
Author(s): Kelley Eskridge
ISBN: 0-06-008660-2 / 978-0-06-008660-2 (USA edition)
Publisher: Eos
Availability: Amazon   Amazon UK   Amazon CA   
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December 2003 : Paperback
Cover of ISBN: B000C4SPS8Title: Solitaire : A Novel
Author(s): Kelley Eskridge
Availability: Amazon   Amazon UK   
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January 2002 : Paperback
Title: Solitaire
Author(s): KelleyEskridge
Publisher: Eos.,2002
Availability: Amazon   
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Other Editions

January 2011 : Kindle edition
Cover of ISBN: B004HYFQBITitle: Solitaire: a novel
Author(s): Kelley Eskridge
Publisher: Small Beer Press
Availability: Amazon   
More details...

January 2004 : Unknown
Title: Solitaire
Author(s):
Publisher: EOS
Availability: Amazon   Amazon UK   
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September 2002 : Kindle edition
Cover of ISBN: B004H1T8FQTitle: Solitaire: a novel
Author(s): Kelley Eskridge
Publisher: Small Beer Press
Availability: Amazon   
More details...

January 2002 : Unknown
Title: Solitaire
Author(s): Kelley Eskridge
Publisher: Eos
Availability: Amazon   
More details...

January 2002 : Unknown
Title: Solitaire
Author(s): Kelley Eskridge
Publisher: Eos
Availability: Amazon   
More details...

January 2002 : Unknown
Title: Solitaire
Author(s): Kelley Eskridge
Publisher: Eos
Availability: Amazon   
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