BOOKS
PAGE TURNERS
A look at recently published works by UCR faculty, staff, and alumni
“Parable of the Talents”
By Octavia E. Butler, Damian Duffy, John Jennings, and David Brame
Abrams ComicArts
April 2025, 304 pages
Set against the backdrop of a war-torn continent controlled by a Christian fundamentalist fascist state, this graphic novel follows Duffy and Jennings’ previous acclaimed adaptations of Octavia Butler’s novels “Kindred,” a No. 1 New York Times bestseller, and “Parable of the Sower,” winner of the Hugo Award.
Jennings is a professor of media and cultural studies.
“Postmortem”
By Courtney Lund O’Neil, MFA ’14
Citadel
December 2024, 272 pages
On a December night in 1978, Lund O’Neil’s mother saw her friend Rob Piest alive for the last time. In this compelling work of true crime, Lund O’Neil probes her mother’s personal experiences, exploring the aftershocks of “Killer Clown” John Wayne Gacy’s crimes and the repercussions of murder within a family, a community, and the American psyche.
Lund O’Neil earned an MFA in creative writing and writing for the performing arts.
“Fewer Rules, Better People”
By Barry Lam
W. W. Norton & Company
February 2025, 176 pages
In “Fewer Rules, Better People,” Lam argues that while the use of discretion can never be perfect, removing it has even more problematic effects, with mandatory arrests and sentencing laws bringing about unjust and arbitrary results. The book sheds new light on political debates about law and justice while aiming to prepare us for the imminent threat of more “perfect,” discretion-less rule enforcement by AI.
Lam is a professor of philosophy.
“On Hunger”
By Dana Simmons
University of California Press
April 2025, 234 pages
Simmons examines hunger in the United States, exploring how it became a weapon, a scientific method, and a policy instrument. Taking readers inside the labs of researchers devoted to understanding hunger as a biological and social phenomenon, “On Hunger” examines the continuing struggle to produce, suppress, or control hunger in America.
Simmons is a professor in the Department of Society, Environment, and Health Equity.
“In the Company of Wolves”
By Antonio Farías, MFA ’14
Piñata Books
September 2025, 188 pages
“In the Company of Wolves” follows Jaime, who goes to live with his family in New Mexico after his father is killed in Vietnam. There, he learns the ways of the Cieza men and the legend of the wolf pack descended from Indigenous peoples. This coming-of-age novel explores the importance of family, respect for nature, and the impact of war.
Farías earned an MFA in creative writing and writing for the performing arts.
“Razed”
By Thatcher Carter, Ph.D. ’99
Inlandia Institute
May 2025, 291 pages
“Razed” follows Lucy Wilson, who receives shocking evidence at her father’s funeral about his nefarious role in a highway project that destroyed Black and Jewish neighborhoods in New York. Caught between her idealistic pursuit of truth and her delicate relationship with her sister, Lucy must navigate a treacherous path, deciding how to challenge the narrative that has defined her family for generations.
Carter earned a doctorate in English.
Return to UCR Magazine: Spring 2025