The Thing in the Snow: A Novel

From the critically acclaimed author of The Heap, a thought-provoking and wryly funny novel—equal parts satire and psychological thriller—that holds a funhouse mirror to the isolated workplace and an age of endless distraction. At the far reaches of the world, the Northern Institute sits in a vast expanse of ice and snow. Once a thriving research facility, its operations were abruptly shut down after an unspecified incident, and its research teams promptly evacuated. Now it’s home to a team of three caretakers—Gibbs, Cline, and their supervisor, Hart—and a single remaining researcher named Gilroy, who is feverishly studying the sensation of coldness.Their objective is simple: occupy the space, complete their weekly tasks, and keep the building in working order in case research ever resumes. (Also: never touch the thermostat. Also: never, ever go outside.) The work isn’t thrilling—test every door for excessive creaking, sit on every chair to ensure its structural integrity—but for Hart, it’s the opportunity of a lifetime, a chance to hone his leadership skills and become the beacon of efficiency he always knew he could be.There’s just one obstacle standing in his way: a mysterious object that has appeared out in the snow. Gibbs and Cline are mesmerized. They can’t discern its exact shape and color, nor if it’s moving or fixed in place. But it is there. Isn’t it?Whatever it might be, Hart thinks the thing in the snow is an unwelcome distraction, and probably a huge waste of time. Though, come to think of it, time itself has been a bit wonky lately. Weekends pass in a blur, and he can hardly tell day from night. Gravity seems less-than-reliable. The lights have been flickering weirdly, and he feels an odd thrumming sensation in his beard. Gibbs might be plotting to unseat him as supervisor, and Gilroy—well, what is he really doing anyway?Perplexed and isolated—but most certainly not alone—Hart wrestles for control of his own psyche as the thing in the snow beguiles his team, upends their work, and challenges their every notion of what is normal.

New York Times

"Eerily compelling."

Stephen Markley, national bestselling author of Ohio

“Imagine Severance alley-ooped to John Carpenter only to be stolen by Kurt Vonnegut for a dunk on the other end. A subtle comedic powerhouse of claustrophobia and frigid workplace bureaucracy.”

Washington Post

“The absurdity of the modern workplace has inspired copious satires, and like the creators of ‘Office Space’ and ‘Severance,’ Adams winningly skewers corporate life.”

with all parts played by comedians. A compelling, imaginative, worrying, and hilarious commentary on purpose, priorities, and leadership. Perfect for anyone who has ever questioned why we let time pass, and occupy ourselves with busywork, when there are things of concern to face.”

“A soaring conflagration of absurdity, mystery, and wry humor. This story reads like a Beckett play, in a Black Mirror episode

Booklist"[The Thing in the Snow is] in direct line of descent from Heller’s Catch-22 . . . . A quintessential fantastical examination and dissection of the postmodern

"Adams’ quirky look at a confined and isolated workspace also offers an almost Stoppard-like look into character development while making a rather bleak but humorous statement about contemporary working life. Though the world Adams created is spare, the reading mind fills every corner with all that is dreamed and feared."

Locus"The strange blend of satire, mystery, and psychological thrills make for a winning combination."

“bullshit jobs” ecosystem.”

Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star"The Thing in the Snow is mesmerizing, unnerving, and borderline miraculous. With a novel that’s at once cozy and unsettling, Adams has composed a lucid anthem for both the brain-fogged and those whose perception is all too clear. . . I couldn’t stop thinking about it until I finished it

“This brilliantly written book will have even the reader questioning everything they think they know about the story as it unfolds.”

Rob Hart, author of The Paradox Hotel

“Sean Adams does a masterful job balancing wry humor, a mind-boggling mystery, fantastic character work, and a major creep factor. This is my favorite kind of book; a story of big ideas that demands to be finished and sticks with you after you're done.”

Little Village Magazine

“Adams lures readers into a world as claustrophobic as a snow globe, then shakes things up with a flurry of satirical commentary on the surreal and absurd nature of workplace culture. . . A uniquely hilarious yet frightening vision.”

New York Times Book Review, Editors’ Choice, on The Heap

“Cutting satire. . . . A compelling narrative with unexpected twists and darkly comic turns.”

NPR

“The Heap is dizzying in scale, but at its heart it’s an endearing and downright fun story about a man who defies all odds to reestablish a familial link that’s been sundered by technology, catastrophe and commerce. . . . The first great science fiction novel of 2020, The Heap is sharp, acidic and sweet.”

Chandler Klang Smith, author of The Sky Is Yours

“Like Snowpiercer’s train, a George Saunders amusement park, or the fractured cityscape from a Donald Barthelme story, The Heap’s Los Verticalés is a sardonic monument to our decadent culture teetering on the brink of collapse. A wry, inventive, and highly original debut.”

Booklist

“[The Heap] recalls elaborate dystopian scenes found in Terry Gillam films. . . . Irresistibly clever commentary steeped in wit and secrets.”

Shaun Hamill, author of A Cosmology of Monsters

“As intellectually playful as the best of Thomas Pynchon and as sardonically warm as the best of Kurt Vonnegut, The Heap is both a hilarious send-up of life under late capitalism and a moving exploration of the peculiar loneliness of the early 21st century. A masterful and humane gem of a novel.”

About the Author

Sean Adams is the author of The Heap. He is a graduate of Bennington College and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. His fiction has appeared in Electric Literature’s Recommended Reading, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, The Normal School, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, The Arkansas International, and elsewhere. He lives in Des Moines, Iowa, with his wife, Emma, and their various pets.

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