The Municipalists

Praise

“Even if you’ve never spent one day in a city, but are just someone who wants to laugh and marvel at Fried’s imagination and wit, this book is also for you. Really, it’s for everyone.”—NYLON, “50 Novels You’ll Want to Read in 2019”

“A new and irreverent take on both real-world politics and sci-fi history.”—The Wall Street Journal

“A fresh and funny take on the near-future crime novel. And in these dystopian times we’re living through, I’d take fresh and funny over an added dose of doom and gloom on top of the hearty serving we eat every single day. I’m terrified of the future, but Fried makes it a little more entertaining. “—Jason Diamond, Vol. 1 Brooklyn

“Fried’s debut explores issues likely to affect everyone—and pokes predatory capitalism with a sharp stick, attracting readers of darkly absurd science à la Philip K. Dick, Charlie Jane Anders, and Warren Ellis.”—Library Journal, “Debut of the Month” (*Starred Review*)

“Deeply, constantly funny, and able to transform from a breezy page-turner into a serious exploration of class and trauma in a few well-turned sentences.”—Tor.com

“A wondrous chimera of a book . . . The Municipalists challenges our reliance on new technology and the utopian ideals we hope it enables. And with it, Fried, who is acclaimed for his wildly imaginative short stories, displays his genre-bending talent and creativity in full force.”—CrimeReads

“Having finished writing this piece, I feel simultaneously disheartened and elated; disheartened at not being able to fully describe the weirdness, the originality, the sheer heart within this book, and elated because thousands of readers are about to experience it for themselves. Why am I still talking? Just read it.”—Book of the Month Club

“A novel full of people who care deeply about the details, written by someone who understands that the details are what matter. Smart, engaging, poignant and funny (not just book funny—actually funny). Fried is one of the most exciting new voices in fiction, and his debut novel showcases his many talents.”—Charles Yu, author of How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe 

“The longer you bask in the glow of Seth Fried’s wondrous novel, big concepts like Technology and Work and Friendship begin to take on a curious shape, turn into something so unique that you wonder how one writer has so much imagination, so much insight, so much fun with the world they’ve created. The Municipalists is the work of a hilarious and empathetic talent.”—Kevin Wilson, author of The Family Fang

“A thinking person’s comic thriller, The Municipalists is a joy ride and a meditation both. Seth Fried is the consummate urban planner of a novelist, providing us with exciting thoroughfares of action as well as quiet gardens of feeling. And the story stars, among other characters, a drunk and vain (but ultimately loveable) computer. What else could a fiction dweller ask for? A wonderful debut novel.”—Sam Lipsyte, author of The Ask

“Seth Fried is the future of fiction.”—Hannah Tinti, author of The Good Thief

“Seth Fried is a pure delight to read.”—Karen Russell, author of Swamplandia!

“An important new young writer.”—Dan Chaon, author of Await Your Reply

“[Seth Fried] will make your heart stop and your jaw drop. You will suffer from bouts of thoughtful silence and seizures of hilarity and may even soil yourself with pleasure. Consider yourself warned.”—Ben Percy, author Red Moon 

“[Fried] somehow manages to transport Conrad’s Heart of Darkness to a futuristic mega-city. . . a fun read.”—Kirkus Reviews