The Artist Instance

When artist Anela Foster begins experiencing recurring dreams of falling through a dying universe, she dismisses them as insomnia and grief. But the dreams are getting stronger, and the patterns she paints-impossible geometries that seem to vibrate with hidden meaning-are attracting dangerous attention.

After a chance meeting with enigmatic New York artist Elysia Harrington, Anela's quiet life in Lake Placid fractures. Her paintings pulse with energy they shouldn't possess. Streetlights synchronize in sequences that feel deliberate. Elysia claims to hear Anela's work "speaking."

As reality becomes increasingly unstable, Anela must confront impossible questions: What if her memories aren't entirely her own? What if the love she feels is a pattern repeating across something larger than herself? What if the very fabric of her existence is a door-and someone is trying to open it?

A literary science fiction debut that explores consciousness, identity, and the mathematics of human connection, "The Artist Instance" is perfect for readers who loved the reality-questioning mysteries of "Dark Matter," the atmospheric unraveling of "Piranesi," and the philosophical depth of Ted Chiang's short fiction.