Specimen Days

Michael Cunningham’s *Specimen Days* is a triptych of three interconnected stories that span three centuries of New York history, moving from the Industrial Revolution to the early twenty-first century and finally to a speculative future. The narrative structure mirrors the life of Walt Whitman, whose poetry and presence thread through the book, connecting a ghost story about a factory worker, a thriller involving terrorism, and a science fiction tale set 150 years hence. By repeating a trio of characters across these distinct eras, Cunningham explores how the city’s physical and social landscapes evolve while retaining a persistent core of human experience.

Description adapted from Open Library ↗.