It needed all the songs I could seed into it. Sure, it’s dystopic, but it’s also a love letter to live music, and to musicians who inspire, and to the feeling of inspiration that a song can bring. That didn’t feel like enough for this book. That includes books that reference songs or bands, or books where the author later publishes a list of music they listened to while working on the book. I’ve always loved books with soundtracks. Then I realized that I had a different favorite bit that I wanted to talk about that I don’t know if anyone will actually notice: the playlist hidden in the table of contents. I had all these ideas for talking about my favorite bit for a particular character, like when Rosemary rejected all my plans for what she should do next and took over writing herself, or about the joy and challenge of making people feel live music in prose, which truly is one of my favorite things. But when she sees how the world could actually be, that won’t be enough.

Find the illegal concerts and bring musicians into the limelight they deserve.

The only catch is that she’ll have to do something she’s never done before and go out in public. By lucky chance, she finds a new job and a new calling: discover amazing musicians and bring their concerts to everyone via virtual reality. She spends her days in Hoodspace, helping customers order all of their goods online for drone delivery–no physical contact with humans needed. Rosemary Laws barely remembers the Before times. She does what she has to do: she performs in illegal concerts to a small but passionate community, always evading the law. Now, in the After, terror attacks and deadly viruses have led the government to ban concerts, and Luce’s connection to the world–her music, her purpose–is closed off forever. One of her songs had just taken off and she was on her way to becoming a star. In the Before, when the government didn’t prohibit large public gatherings, Luce Cannon was on top of the world.

In this captivating science fiction novel from an award-winning author, public gatherings are illegal making concerts impossible, except for those willing to break the law for the love of music, and for one chance at human connection. Sarah Pinsker is joining us today to talk about her debut novel, A Song for a New Day.

Sarah pinsker song for a new day