American author Helen Phillips has written six novels, half of which have had a speculative edge. This is also true of Hum, a type of domestic drama in a near-future dystopia that is scary in its similarity to today. But it is never heavy-handed, preferring to reflect on these issues through a nervous domestic narrative that has a greater emotional impact as a result. Hum by Helen Phillips is out now (Atlantic, £9.99). You can buy it from the Big Issue shop on bookshop.org, which helps to support Big Issue and independent bookshops.