I was once again reminded of this ineffable, powerful material when I read about “Greot” in Jeff Noon’s Moon over Brendle. Greot, like the Dust of Pullman’s work, is a mysterious substance which permeates the world. Moon over Brendle is overall a really cozy reading experience, with its contained setting, low-stakes drama, and emphasis on character growth and a coming-of-age narrative. It is indeed presented as the account of a science fiction writer looking back at his childhood, and indeed there are similarities between Joe Sutter and Jeff Noon. Perhaps I’ll revisit Moon over Brendle after I read some of his other work, and see if it gives me, too, new powers of perception.