Drew Magary’s New Novel Will Teleport You Away From Covid-19

‘Point B’ imagines a world where teleportation is rampant — but unfortunately so are trolls and neo-Nazis

At a time when none of us are supposed to be leaving our homes, it’s especially thrilling to spend time in a fictional world where humans can teleport anyplace they’d like. That’s precisely the premise of GEN columnist Drew Magary’s latest novel, Point B. Though it’s set in 2029, it’s a world we can all recognize, where trolling and shit-posting and white supremacy are inescapable realities — except everyone can change their crap surroundings with the push of a button.

Of course, teleportation comes with its own hazards and does little to diminish how all-consuming love, friendship, family, and school can feel to teenagers, including 17-year-old Anna, the novel’s protagonist. Point B, out today, offers a prescient look into how those coming of age in a suddenly unfamiliar world might be affected by the ongoing pandemic (though, of course, Magary had no clue the coronavirus was coming when he wrote it).

GEN spoke with Magary about his decision to self-publish Point B, where to be “very online in 2020,” and his life in quarantine.