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Quarterfinal Round 2: Version Control v. Homegoing judged by Teresa


Teresa Preston has been blogging about books at Shelf Love (wordpress) for more than a decade and has been following the TOB for almost that long.

When I received my assignment to read these two books, I could not have been more delighted. Homegoing and Version Control are among my favorite TOB books and possibly the two I’ve recommended to others the most often. And then I realized I’d have to choose between them. Gulp. How to choose between two such creative and well-executed books? And how will this choice affect the remainder of the tournament? By choosing a book I loved just a hair more than the other, but that the next judge loathed, will I be barring both from making it to the end?

Both books are, in a sense, about the long-term effects of choices. In Version Control, the choices are personal. To pick up your son from school or ask your husband to do it. To take the right turn or the left. Or to disrupt it all and step into the causality violation device? Every choice has a consequence, and every choice eliminates all other possible choices.

I loved that Dexter Palmer took an idea from science fiction and wrote a book that focused almost entirely on the characters� personal lives. The ostensible protagonist, Rebecca, isn’t even a scientist. As the book goes on, we the readers experience the science fiction elements because we see the altered reality, but Rebecca just experiences science fiction as life. She knows no alternative.

I know some people found the domestic focus a little tedious, but I enjoyed seeing how one day, not so different from any other day, altered so much about the characters, while still preserving something of who they were in essence. We spend a lot of time getting to know Rebecca before she ever enters the causality violation device, and I think that’s important not only because it gives us a stake in her survival but also because it allows us to see how a different life does and does not make her a different person. In both realities, she *feels* like Rebecca. It’s just that one life has left her bewildered and rudderless and another has forced her to focus.

And because the book is more concerned about how life alters the people involved, it doesn’t matter to me whether the science behind it makes much sense. On this second reading, I could grasp bits and pieces of it, but I’m still not sure at all entirely works.

In Homegoing, Yaa Gyasi looks at an altogether different kind of choice, the choice of one people to enslave another. And we see how the consequences of the literal violation that is slavery spins out across the generations, as Effia’s descendants retain their African connections and Esi’s are forced to build a new history in America. On this second reading, I noticed that, while neither branch of the family free consistently bore the most suffering, Effia’s descendants at least were able to maintain a connection to their past, which gives their struggles a different flavor. They always have a home to go back to, even if they’re not sure they want to be there.

As an American, I also found that this book does a marvelous job of showing how the trauma of enslavement, persecution, and all the other trappings of racism passes down through the generations. It’s one reason I’ve recommended this book so many times. It illustrates how our history has worked on our Black citizens in a way that isn’t always clear just from the history books. Homegoing feels like essential reading, especially now as lawmakers are trying to keep a full history from being told.

So, I’m left with a dilemma. Both of these books have haunted me ever since I first read them. And the second reading hasn’t changed my opinion of either book. Part of me wants to pick the book that carries the weight of history behind it. But the larger part of me wants to choose the book that got me thinking about the choices each person makes every day and how we ourselves continually violate causality in one way or another. And so I am stepping into the device and choosing

Version Control.

Maggie here with the Zombie update for today. Homegoing did not get enough votes in the zombie voting to oust either of the prior contenders, so it will be... going home today. (These puns just keep coming.)

If the zombie round were held today, it would still be The Animators and Skippy Dies that get a second chance at life!

AH, Teresa, another perfect judgement on two books I loved very much. I love your reminder on how essential 'Homegoing' is for me.. choices and history that have an impact on racism and will continue... especially with the crazy CENSORSHIP issues that have been happening lately. I will continue to champion 'Homegoing'! It's a shame it didn't make it through the zombie vote - I can't believe 'The Animators' keeps trucking, though I loved 'Animators' too. But it doesn't have quite the weight of 'Homegoing'.

I also loved your read of 'Version Control' and the reminder that the reader is seeing the sci-fi elements of the book, but the characters see their choices and nothing sci-fi about it. I hope I remember this aspect on my re-read of the book, whenever that happens. Again, thank you for this excellent judgement! They have all been amazing so far.

Beautiful judgment, and one with which I agree wholeheartedly.

I also enjoyed both of these books, with Version Control being more of a "cerebral" experience, and Homegoing tapping more into my heart and emotions. I probably would have advanced Homegoing (and am sad to see it didn't zombie) but the judgment is thoughtful and I respect the decision here. Nice work, Teresa!

Teresa wrote: "In both realities, she *feels* like Rebecca. It’s just that one life has left her bewildered and rudderless and another has forced her to focus...."

Yes! It sometimes had a real Sliding Doors vibe to it.

Reading my reviews of both books, I clearly thought Homegoing MUCH the better book, yet I'm glad VC is the one that is continuing on, since it makes me question my thoughts about it. In my review, the 2017 version of me seems put off that it wasn't the time travel book I expected and I couldn't adjust to it as a domestic drama (never my favorite genre), along with its pacing and awkward science. I'm feeling the urge to read it again, although I don't know if I'll ever abandon my criticism of Woody, who seemed more of a device than a person, existing solely as the voice of the humanities in dialogue with Philip the scientist. I did respect the writing though, and loved his later book, Mary Toft, so I'm anticipating his next book, whatever the date and whatever it may be. Anyone read his debut novel, The Dream of Perpetual Motion? I do love his choice of titles.....

Teresa wrote: "... Both of these books have haunted me ever since I first read them. ..."

Both of these books were the first I had read by their authors, and I was floored by them -- by the uniqueness of their approaches to storytelling, by the character depiction, by the voices and the amazing prose, and that both made me think so deeply about the topics in the stories. Funny that they were both in the 2017 ToB and met here again today.

I too would have chosen Version Control to advance, like you because of its focus on the everyday and individual choices. And, I'll read anything and everything that Gyasi and Palmer write.

This really was a hard choice, but at least it was one that involved rereading two favorites! I was sort of hoping Homegoing would zombie but alas... I do love The Animators, though, and am not sad to see it moving on.

Nadine wrote: "Anyone read his debut novel, The Dream of Perpetual Motion? "

I read it last year and found it too overstuffed with ideas. But I loved VC and Mary Toft so much that I'm writing it off as a first novel situation--trying to fit in everything he wanted to write about!

Thank you for your terrific judgment, Teresa! (I'm now following your blog.) I have no idea which I would have chosen, I was wowed by both these books. I'm guessing I would have chosen Homegoing, because it's a more "important" book, it resonated so deeply, but I got so much enjoyment out of Version Control, and I'm not at all sorry to see it moving on.

(I'm also surprised by the love for The Animators! I liked it well enough, but I'd never have chosen it as my favorite Favorite!)

Excellent decision Teresa! I wholeheartedly approve! :)
I love the idea of VC as a sci-fi domestic drama! The book challenged my ideas about the genre for sure!

I would have chosen the same, but I agree that Homegoing is essential reading - so well done. And the tourney taught me about the use of coincidence in diaspora writing like this where the only chance often to realize your roots is through outside forces. (Which gave me more appreciation for the story's less credulous parts).

Yay Teresa! Terrific analysis and agree that these are two top favorites� one has to move on and I am happy with the selection. I am glad that the TOB has introduced me to both of these authors.

Version Control is my ride or die in the ToF so I'm beyond thrilled with this judgment, even as I really love Homegoing. For me, it ran out of some steam at the end and didn't have the weight the earlier narratives did, but that's minor.

Wonderful judgment! Wonderful that VC keeps going!

Has anyone picked up The Dream of Perpetual Motion? I enjoyed the other Palmer so much I feel I should complete the set. Reviews on GR seem mixed.

Kip wrote: "Has anyone picked up The Dream of Perpetual Motion? I enjoyed the other Palmer so much I feel I should complete the set. Reviews on GR seem mixed."

Hey Kip - see Teresa's response to this same question up above at message 10.

I've bought it but haven't read it yet.

Kip wrote: "Has anyone picked up The Dream of Perpetual Motion? I enjoyed the other Palmer so much I feel I should complete the set. Reviews on GR seem mixed."

I somehow had 'Dream of Perpetual Motion' on my TBR shelves way before 'Version Control' was even out... alas, it still sits on the TBR. I really want to get to it soon though.

Bah, I thought I read every comment so I don't know how I missed it, thanks for the blurb Teresa! It's on hoopla so I will likely get to the audiobook at some point anyway but good know.

Kip wrote: "Has anyone picked up The Dream of Perpetual Motion? I enjoyed the other Palmer so much I feel I should complete the set. Reviews on GR seem mixed."

I read it for probably the same reasons as everyone else - loved Mary Toft and Version Control, so wanted more. Maybe because of that I was set up to be disappointed. It was ok, but the other two are so much better!