"On the Calculation of Volume," part one of Balle's septology, is an enthralling epic, though nothing epic truly happens. Instead we are soft and meditative, reminiscing on the meaning of time when time itself has lost meaning. How do we keep moving forward when the world itself is standing still? All the timey-whimey-ness you expect in a time loop story, but Balle's writing brings something warm and alive into the words. Something human, even as Tara feels further away from being one herself