Destiny times three

"Destiny Times Three" by Fritz Leiber is a mid-20th-century science fiction story that digs into the complicated ideas of who we are and what is real, mainly through the journeys of Thorn and Clawly. The book opens with Thorn at an art show for a piece called "Yggdrasil," where the unsettling feeling of cosmic fear takes over the story. Thorn is surprised by how much the old myth relates to a presentation he and Clawly are about to give, suggesting that scary secrets are hiding under their perfect world. Out of nowhere, Thorn steals a strange object, which kicks off a tense and interesting story. As things move forward, we see Thorn's strong friendship with Clawly and how they handle some troubling burden against an encroaching, alien threat. This start is a captivating invitation into the daunting and complicated truth of their world.