Sci-fi finally gets its Booker moment: M. John Harrison wins with ‘The End of Everything’

LONDON, Nov 10 — UK author M. John Harrison, 81, has won the prestigious Booker Prize for his enigmatic novel "The End of Everything", which delves into concerns surrounding artificial intelligence in a darkly satirical portrayal of post-apocalyptic Britain. The $50,000 (RM273,000) prize not only marks a significant accomplishment for Harrison but also bodes well for his future sales and profile.

Harrison, a veteran of the British science fiction literary scene, was the oldest winner of the award and made history as the first author to win the prize twice.

The judges, chaired by Mary Beard, lauded Harrison's "extraordinary expert writing" and "huge ambition" in "The End of Everything", which beat out shortlisted authors Marlon James, Douglas Stuart, Elizabeth Strout, Luke Kennard, and Rebecca Perry. The novel follows the journey of beachcomber Phillip Tennent and his dementia-stricken, free-spirited aunt Marnie, set on the windswept English coast facing the invasion of mysterious objects known as the iGhetti.

An unnamed catastrophe thrusts the characters into a murky post-apocalyptic world, with the European continent seemingly disappearing and the arrival of the iGhetti, which can mimic human interactions, evoking artificial intelligence. Harrison's 13th novel employs dream-like episodes, an elliptical and poetic style, and subtle references to current affairs such as Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the penetration of technology into daily life.

The author himself has expressed that the themes and satire derived from current events served as inspiration for his work, reflecting on the failure of explanation in society, drawing parallels to the 2008 financial crisis.