Books › The Incrementalists
The Incrementalists
384 pages
A witty, philosophical urban fantasy about immortal meddlers arguing their way through history and trying to save the world one tiny nudge at a time.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like eavesdropping on a brilliant, centuries-old argument in a smoky Las Vegas dive bar. It is a brisk, dialogue-driven urban fantasy that leans heavily into the philosophical and ethical dilemmas of immortality, rather than relying on explosive magic systems. The narrative voice is wry and conversational, pulling you into a quirky, neon-lit world where the weight of shared memories and past lives creates a deeply nostalgic and sometimes melancholic atmosphere. The prose is snappy and intellectual, bouncing between perspectives as the characters bicker over the best way to subtly manipulate human history. It will thoroughly delight readers who crave clever secret societies, complex interpersonal dynamics, and a deeply human approach to immortality.
- Mood
- quirky
- neon-lit
- nostalgic
- tense
- Tone
- wry
- philosophical
- conversational
- cynical
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- the weight of memory · ethics of intervention · enduring love and rivalry · identity across lifetimes · incremental progress
- The writing
- Snappy and dialogue-heavy, laced with dry wit, shifting perspectives, and philosophical musings.
- The arc
- Moves from weary, centuries-old nostalgia to urgent, high-stakes confrontation and bittersweet reconciliation.
- Who it's for
- Fans of clever, dialogue-driven urban fantasy who love secret histories and immortal characters bickering over the ethics of saving humanity.
Content notes
- grief
- manipulation
- suicide
- death of a loved one
About the book
"The Incrementalists--a secret society of two hundred people with an unbroken lineage reaching back forty thousand years. They cheat death, share lives and memories, and communicate with one another across nations, races, and time. They have an epic history, an almost magical memory, and a very modest mission: to make the world better, just a little bit at a time. Their ongoing argument about how to do this is older than most of their individual memories. Phil, whose personality has stayed stable through more incarnations than anyone else's, has loved Celeste--and argued with her--for most of the last four hundred years. But now Celeste, recently dead, embittered, and very unstable, has changed the rules--not incrementally, and not for the better. Now the heart of the group must gather in Las Vegas to save the Incrementalists, and maybe the world"--
Description from Open Library.
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