Originally published in 1992, Wendy Walker’s debut novel, The Secret Service, was largely ignored by literary readers because they couldn’t properly place this unclassifiable work, melding as it does science fiction, fantasy, espionage, and more, with a grail quest at its core. The secret service in question is comprised of individuals who can shapeshift into objects and spy on the enemy. The description of object consciousness brings to mind Joseph McElroy’s Plus.
In November of 2021, Tough Poets Press published a new edition. This is yet another book born from my efforts at The Collidescope and as such features my interview with Wendy, as well as a brief introduction to that interview, which originally appeared on the site in April of 2020.
Be sure to check out Sean’s review of the novel at his BookTube channel here: