Ply
by Hernan Diaz· 2026
Set in a dystopian American future dominated by technology and aggressive capitalism, this novel sees an orphan who steals electricity drawn into a paranoid maze where her closest friends and even her own identity are put into question. The novel examines the place of technology in our collective imagination.
Centuries from now, an orphan adrift in an American city grows up to become a pincher. Stealing electricity from the grid to power the vibrant downtown music scene she adores is a risky occupation, and the city she moves through can be dangerous. She is right to be wary. But soon, she is drawn into a paranoid maze where her closest friends and even her own identity are put into question – all while following a thread leading to a scientific experiment that could change the fabric of reality itself.
Set in a future filled with both uncertainty and promise, Ply interrogates the role of technology in a deeply changed society. It offers a deep dive into the burden of capitalism, while charting the boundaries of selfhood, and the distance that stands between us and those we love.
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Set in a dystopian American future dominated by technology and aggressive capitalism, this novel sees an orphan who steals electricity drawn into a paranoid maze where her closest friends and even her own identity are put into question. The novel examines the place of technology in our collective imagination. Centuries from now, an orphan adrift in an American city grows up to become a pincher. Stealing electricity from the grid to power the vibrant downtown music scene she adores is a risky occupation, and the city she moves through can be dangerous. She is right to be wary. But soon, she is drawn into a paranoid maze where her closest friends and even her own identity are put into question – all while following a thread leading to a scientific experiment that could change the fabric of reality itself. Set in a future filled with both uncertainty and promise, Ply interrogates the role of technology in a deeply changed society. It offers a deep dive into the burden of capitalism, while charting the boundaries of selfhood, and the distance that stands between us and those we love.