Books

SCIENCE FICTION

Published by Yavanika Press

A collection of poems that navigates the labyrinth of love, exhaustion, confusion, identity, freedom, knowledge, belief, and a nostalgic yearning for a time that never truly existed.

“Science Fiction is a cataclysm. Daring and poignant, Tejashree Murugan relays a world made of blood, dreams, and glass. Combining stories of mythology with suburban living, the image of Ophelia against a Walmart parking lot, Tejashree is able to draw us deep into these fantastical, intense narratives. In one poem, the narrator muses on what her grim reaper might be doing while in another she commands an army of swordfish. The line between reality and fiction is translucent as a spider web. Tejashree walks that line with confidence, regality, and thunder. This collection is both an incredible debut as well as a promising look into the future of poetry as a whole.”

— Jasmine Ledesma

“Tejashree Murugan’s debut begins with a quote by Ray Bradbury on what science fiction means, a choice that feels stunningly appropriate when you plunge into her vivid, descriptive words. Covering themes we are all familiar with, like love and pain and self-discovery and self-sabotage, she manages to do that unique thing of making the human experience feel fantastically literary. Murugan draws upon and pays homage to existing works of poetry, art, and pop culture, and turns them inside out and upside down in a deliciously thorough dissection of ideas. Her words are as sharp as they are comforting, and will stay with you long after you read the last line.”

— Ria Chopra

“When you read, remember to hold a pen because each poem asks to be annotated. Mystical and sensuous in imagery and metaphor that seems to leap off the pages, Tejashree has brought “everything to life, not back but afresh, anew, free from the scent of gleaming, unfeeling metal”. When you will arrive at the end, the inevitable question will be “can words be put in this way?” and the evidence… in front of your eyes.”

— Ashish Kumar Singh