From the Bookshelf of NYRB Classics…

The Singularity

Dino Buzzati,

Anne Milano Appel (Translator)

Start date: September 1, 2024

Finish date: September 30, 2024

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What Members Thought

Jun 16, 2025 Josh rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2025, nyrb

Finished this in a day or two, definitely ahead of its time. If you're concerned about AI, read this. ...more

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Oct 16, 2024 Andrew Sare rated it liked it

Shelves: nyrb

This was a midcentury artificial intelligence Frankenstein novella. The cover art for the NYRB edition is first a great piece of art, and second, an incredible representation of the tale.

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Jun 11, 2024 Nicole Chilton rated it it was amazing

Shelves: in-translation, own-read, fiction, nyrb-picks, mystery, sci-fi, loved-it, surreal-y-bizarre, 2024, italy

A short, dark, mysterious novel originally published in 1960, and now rereleased beautifully by NYRB. A parable of man and machine, it was an interesting companion piece to recently watching Ex Machina. Why are so many men interested in developing sexy robots, and hoping they submit?

It never ends well.

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Jul 08, 2024 Colin rated it it was amazing

Amazing that this book is from the early 60s, as it seems to be very much of this moment. Each move Buzzati makes pays off for the reader in a way that leads to a deeply human ending.

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