Foe (Reid novel)
A philosophical suspense novel about identity and replacement.
Foe, the second novel by Canadian writer Iain Reid, came out in the United States in August 2018 through Simon & Schuster. Critics have labeled it a psychological thriller and horror story set against a science fiction backdrop, while Reid himself called it a "philosophical suspense story."
The story takes place in the near future and follows Junior, who narrates the book. He lives with his wife Henrietta, or Hen, on an isolated farm. A notable stylistic choice is that all dialogue in the novel uses quotation marks except for Junior's. One night, a stranger named Terrance shows up at their door. He works for OuterMore, an aerospace corporation, and tells Junior he has been chosen for a two-year mission to the Installation, a large space station orbiting Earth. Junior loves Hen deeply and hates the idea of leaving her alone. Terrance explains that while Junior is away, a biomechanical duplicate will take his place to care for her. Junior is appalled. Terrance visits regularly to interview Junior and gather data for the replacement.
Tension grows between Junior and Hen. He resents Terrance's presence, while she refuses to discuss it. After about two years, Terrance moves in to monitor Junior's daily routine. He also interviews Hen, which fuels Junior's jealousy. Junior eavesdrops and learns that Hen seems to know more than she lets on. At one point, Terrance asks if she'd like to escape, and she describes a fantasy of walking out on her husband. Junior becomes convinced that Terrance himself will replace him.
One day, Terrance congratulates Junior, saying he did well. Confused, Junior is stunned when another man who looks exactly like him walks in. Terrance introduces him as the real Junior, just back from the Installation. He tells the stunned duplicate that he is the replacement sent two years ago to live with the real Junior's wife. The duplicate refuses to believe it and begs Hen for help, but she stays silent. As the duplicate grows furious, Terrance says, "It's time for this to end," and shuts him down.
The real Junior then becomes the narrator, and his speech now uses quotation marks. He is happy to be home with Hen. When he asks what it was like living with "it," she says it was difficult at first, but the duplicate adapted quickly and genuinely cared for her. She regrets that he was shut down.
Quick Facts
- Author
- Iain Reid
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Genres
- Psychological thriller, horror, science fiction
- Publisher
- Simon & Schuster
- Release Date
- August 7, 2018
- Pages
- 224 (hardback)
- Isbn
- 978-1-5011-0347-6
- Dewey
- 813/.6—dc23
- Congress
- PR9199.4.R455 F64 2018
- Oclc
- 1049548142
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Foe is set in the near future and narrated by Junior, who lives with his wife Henrietta on a remote farm. One night a stranger named Terrance from the aerospace corporation OuterMore arrives and announces that Junior has been selected to travel to a space station called the Installation for about two years. Terrance explains that while Junior is gone, a biomechanical duplicate will care for Henrietta. Junior is horrified by the idea. Over time, relations between Junior and Hen become strained, and Junior becomes convinced that Terrance will replace him. At the story's climax, another man identical to Junior appears, introduced as the real Junior returning from the Installation; the duplicate Junior is shut down. The real Junior then narrates with quotation marks, but after Hen walks out and returns, her dialogue loses quotation marks, suggesting she may have been replaced as well.
Reader's Guide
Foe explores themes of isolation, identity, and the nature of relationships, drawing on Reid's upbringing on a remote farm in Ontario. The novel was placed on the Horror Writers Association's 2018 Bram Stoker Awards Preliminary Ballot for 'Superior Achievement in a Novel'. Critics noted its unsettling blend of literary fiction, science fiction, psychological thriller, and horror, with the Los Angeles Review of Books calling it 'an engrossing, strange, addictive read'. The Columbus Dispatch described it as 'stark' and 'unsettling', comparing its science fiction to The Twilight Zone in its focus on human behavior. The book was translated into German as Enemy in 2019. Film rights were sold four months before publication, and a film adaptation starring Paul Mescal, Saoirse Ronan, and Aaron Pierre was released in theaters on October 6, 2023.
Did You Know?
- The novel was translated into German by Anke Kreutzer and Eberhard Kreutzer as Enemy and published by Droemer in 2019.
- Reid sold the film rights for Foe to Anonymous Content four months before the book was published.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote Foe and when was it published?
Foe is the second novel by Canadian author Iain Reid, released in the United States in August 2018 through Simon & Schuster. It followed his debut and quickly became his most widely discussed work.
What is the plot of Foe by Iain Reid?
Junior, a man living on an isolated farm with his wife Hen, is confronted by a stranger named Terrance who claims to be his replacement. The novel builds as a slow-burning psychological horror in which Junior's sense of self is systematically eroded, forcing the reader to question whether he is the original or the copy.
Who narrates Foe and what is unusual about the narration style?
Junior tells the story in first person, and Reid deliberately withholds quotation marks from Junior's spoken dialogue while every other character's lines are enclosed in them. This small typographic choice becomes a running clue that undermines the reliability of Junior's perspective throughout the book.
What genre is Foe classified as?
Critics and retailers typically file it as a psychological thriller or horror novel set against a near-future science fiction backdrop, though Iain Reid himself prefers the label 'philosophical suspense story.' It sits at the intersection of speculative fiction and existential dread rather than hard sci-fi.
Why is Foe considered notable in Canadian speculative fiction?
The novel stands out for pairing a near-future premise about identity and replacement with intimate, character-driven psychological horror instead of relying on technology or expansive world-building. It gave Canadian speculative fiction a voice focused on what it means to be 'real,' earning strong critical attention upon its 2018 release.
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