''Shift'' is a 2010 alternative history book by

Tim Kring Richard Timothy Kring (born July 9, 1957) is an American screenwriter and television producer, best known for his creation of the drama series '' Strange World'', ''Crossing Jordan'', '' Heroes'', and ''Touch''. Early life Kring was born in El D ...

and

Dale Peck Dale Peck (born 1967) is an American novelist, literary critic, and columnist. His 2009 novel, '' Sprout'', won the Lambda Literary Award for LGBT Children's/Young Adult literature, and was a finalist for the Stonewall Book Award in the Children's ...

and is the first book in the ''Gates of Orpheus'' trilogy, originally titled as the ''Flag of Orpheus'' trilogy. The book was released on August 10, 2010 in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

Crown Publishing The Crown Publishing Group is a subsidiary of Penguin Random House that publishes across several fiction and non-fiction categories. Originally founded in 1933 as a remaindered books wholesaler called Outlet Book Company, the firm expanded int ...

and centers around a series of secretive government experiments with LSD and its repercussions. Kring has stated that he first began work on the novel after the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike and intended to make use of multiple forms of media to promote the novel and further its storyline.

Synopsis

''Shift'' is narrated through the viewpoints of multiple different characters during the 1960s, predominantly that of Chandler Forrestal. Chandler is drawn into a web of sex and deception after picking up the beautiful Naz Haverman. She gives him LSD without him being aware of it, setting him off on a series of visions and enabling him to see inside Naz's mind. The experience leaves both him and Naz shaken and eventually the two attempt to avoid capture by the CIA, only for them to track them down. Once captured, Chandler is subjected to a series of experiments.

Reception

Critical reception for ''Shift'' has been mixed with

Booklist ''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is av ...

praising the book while

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

panned it.

The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...

gave the book a C−, calling it a "bumpy ride".

References

{{reflist, 2 2010 American novels American alternate history novels Crown Publishing Group books