Science fiction genre writing is not as vibrant as it was twenty years ago.  On the other hand, there are more literary novels than ever taking over territory once ceded to the genre.  Half Life by Shelley Jackson is one of these novels.  An heir as well to Dunn's Geek Love, Half Life takes place in an alternate reality in which nuclear radiation from atomic testing has created numerous two-headed offspring, including the protagonist, Nora, and her comatose sister, Blanche.

Half Life's central conceit-- the conjoined twin-- is a capacious metaphor, and can be read as the antagonistic pairing of consciousness with the subconscious, romantic love, the mind and the body, etc.   Half Life is relentlessly playful if sometimes a little too inclusive of every fancy the author could think of.

Shelley Jackson seems to be one of those horribly attractive, brilliant and with-it individuals.  She lives in Brooklyn and recently did a project which was written entirely on other peoples' skins in permanent tattoo.  Nevertheless, Half Life is a good read and a very promising debut.