Square Wave

"A novel that looks our technocratic, militarized present in the face, "Square Wave" tells the story of a night watchman who discovers weaponized weather modification technologies. It sounds crazy, but in de Silva s hands it all makes perfect (and terrifying) sense."
"Flavorwire"
"Part myster [...]
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"A novel that looks our technocratic, militarized present in the face, "Square Wave" tells the story of a night watchman who discovers weaponized weather modification technologies. It sounds crazy, but in de Silva s hands it all makes perfect (and terrifying) sense."
"Flavorwire"
"Part mystery, part sci-fi thriller... highly topical for Americans today."
"The Millions"
"Enticing and enthralling, "Square Wave"] aims to hit all the literary neurons. This might be the closest we get to David Mitchell on LSD. "Square Wave" is the perfect concoction for the thirsty mind."
"Atticus Review"
"The novel of ideas is alive and well in de Silva's high-minded debut, in which the pursuit of art, the exercise of power, and climate control are strangely entwined."
"Publishers Weekly"
"Intriguing. A satisfying twist on more traditional dystopian fare... De Silva manages these varied plots skillfully."
"Kirkus Reviews"
"A brilliant debut, ambitious with its ideas, extraordinary in their syntheses and execution, and its stylish prose lit up everywhere by a piercing intelligence."
Neel Mukherjee
""Square Wave" is, above all, just excellent. Mark de Silva s prose is simultaneously uncompromising and unassailable. The resulting work is kinetic with an almost wistful erudition that relentlessly but organically plumbs the intersections between art, politics, and our baser human qualities. Ultimately, the novel's defiance of easy categorization or explication charges the story with a compelling mental resonance that somehow feels instructive."
Sergio De La Pava
Carl Stagg, a writer researching imperial power struggles in 17th century Sri Lanka, ekes out a living as a watchman in a factionalized America where confidence in democracy has eroded. Along his nightly patrol, Stagg finds a beaten prostitute, one in a series of monstrous attacks. Suspicious of his supervisor's intentions, Stagg partners with a fellow part-time watchman, Ravan, to seek the truth. Ravan hails from a family developing storm-dispersal technologies, whose research is jointly funded by the Indian and American governments.
The watchmen's discoveries put a troubling complexion on Stagg's research, giving it new shape and impetus, just as the weather modification project begins to appear less about dispersing storms than weaponizing them.
By gracefully weaving a study of the psychological effects of a militarized state upon its citizenry with topics as diverse as microtonal music and cloud physics, "Square Wave" signals the triumphant arrival of a young writer certain to be considered one of the most ambitious and intelligent of his generation. Gatefold cover.
Mark de Silva holds degrees in philosophy from Brown (AB) and Cambridge (PhD). Having served for several years on the editorial staff of the "New York Times"'s opinion pages, he now freelances for the paper's Sunday magazine. "Square Wave" is his first novel.
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