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Antarctic Base Becomes Portal to Alternate Realities
31 Aug
Summary
- Novel features a biologist escaping her past in Antarctica.
- A strange light, the Arc, brings her ex-husband to the base.
- The story explores time travel, possibility, and healing.
Chloe Benjamin's "Under Story" has been chosen as the September 2026 GMA Book Club selection. This science-fiction novel centers on Laurel Salter, a biologist seeking refuge from her past as a dishwasher at an Antarctic research base. Her isolated life is disrupted by the appearance of a celestial event known as the Arc. The Arc draws physicists to the base, including Laurel's former husband, Eli.
As Laurel and Eli reconnect, she becomes convinced that the Arc is a gateway to an alternate reality. This reality, she believes, holds the key to a life where their relationship unfolded differently. Driven by this possibility, Laurel is determined to explore this other world with Eli. Benjamin describes the novel as a journey through time travel, interconnectedness, grief, and healing.
The author's research involved shadowing scientists studying fungi and attending a women's mushroom conference. She also drew inspiration from a family orchard outside Madison, Wisconsin, where she previously picked apples. This immersive research aims to provide readers with a richly textured and believable world within "Under Story."
