Distortion

'Taut and timely . . . A brilliant exploration of social media' Nikesh Shukla

'Original and important . . . Essential reading' Sathnam Sanghera

Meet Dillon: a high-functioning fuck-up and carer for his dying mum. Trapped in an absurd cycle of pre-bereavement bereavement, he has been hiding his pain and some horrible truths, not least from his girlfriend, Ramona.

His distortions have been growing dangerously more hardcore and hardwired, both online and off, thanks to the self-reinforcing effects of social media and creepy digital surveillance. And when a pair of snooping goons turn up, threatening to expose him, he is forced to confront a gut-wrenching secret that he would rather leave well alone.

This audacious novel asks what happens when our minds are twisted beyond recognition by our digital data and search histories, and when our darkest truths are forced into the light by the uncanny predictive capabilities of our smartphones.

What lengths would you go to in order to hide from yourself?

'An ambitious tale... Part post-truth nightmare, part social commentary, Distortion is an involved, complex book that rewards the close attention it deserves' Financial Times

'Interesting and thought-provoking analogies between the role of fate and prophecy in Greek myth, and search engines’ predictions about our lives, likes and desires, form the core of the narrative' The Spectator

'Malkani’s timely novel, in all its beguiling, addictive, and emotive glory, shines a light onto our increasingly fractured lives' Niven Govinden