When We Cease to Understand the World

In popular science books, they usually praise wonderful achievements of science in applied mathematics, theoretical physics, chemistry, space exploration, and broader scientific understanding of the world. Benhamín Labatut chooses a completely different angle. His innovative “a work of fiction based on real events” (though it would be better to call this text a nonfiction novel, since most characters—including Fritz Haber, Niels Bohr, Werner Heisenberg, Alexander Grothendieck, Erwin Schrödinger, and others—are historical figures, and a significant part of the narrative is based on historical facts) rather than celebrates it, conveys the sense of anxiety that accompanies great scientific discoveries—and turns to the dark side of rationality.

The novel, translated into twenty-two languages, made the shortlist for the international Booker Prize in 2021 and became a notable literary event.