As She Climbed Across the Table

As She Climbed Across the Table
First edition cover
Author(s)	Jonathan Lethem
Cover artist	Jacket design by David J. High
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre(s)	Novel, science fiction
Publisher	Doubleday
Publication date	February 17, 1997
Media type	Print (Hardcover & Paperback)
Pages	212 pp (first edition, hardcover)
ISBN	ISBN 0-385-48517-4 (first edition, hardcover)
OCLC Number	35145971
Dewey Decimal	813/.54 20
LC Classification	PS3562.E8544 A9 1997
Preceded by	The Wall of the Sky, the Wall of the Eye
Followed by	Girl in Landscape

As She Climbed Across the Table is a 1997 novel by the American writer Jonathan Lethem. This satirical science fiction story is set on the campus of fictional Beauchamp University in Northern California. Particle physicist Alice Coombs rooms with Philip Engstrand, an anthropologist researching conflicts between and within disciplines. Their relationship drives the romantic aspect of this story.^[1]

Plot

The physicists in Coombs's lab become obsessed with an artificially-created miniature black hole they call Lack, which appears to have its own personality and preferences. Alice develops a personal relationship with the artificial intelligence that they have created, while Philip becomes jealous of their relationship. Ultimately, Philip's curiosity leads him to explore the pocket universes inside Lack, although other physicists have preceded him, as have several fowl and B-84, a laboratory animal (cat). Lack has analysed the raw materials fed into it, and has produced at least two such domains. At the end of the novel, Philip and Lack merge with one another, and is reunited with Alice.

The novel deals thematically with many of the philosophical issues pertaining to modern quantum physics, as well as human interaction with artificial intelligence.

Film adaptation

There has been news around interest in adapting Jonathan Lethem's novel into a feature film, which would be under the direction of Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg. Steven Zaillian would be producing, along with his production company Film Rites.^{[citation needed]}

References

1. ^ Jonathan Lethem: As She Climbed Across the Table