It may seem counter intuitive to read dark stories in these dark times. Over the past year I’ve see-sawed between wanting to escape into light, fluffy, happy books, and needing the cleansing catharsis that near-future dystopian novels can bring. Here are four dark novels which I’ve really enjoyed. I hope you find one to add […]
dystopia
Review: A Wrong Turn at the Office of Unmade Lists, by Jane Rawson
I watched an interview with Jane Rawson on ABC’s The Mix recently and was struck by her comment that she tries to insert humour into climate fiction, which is not an easy thing to do. After reading her novel, A Wrong Turn at the Office of Unmade Lists I can happily attest that she absolutely succeeded. […]
Review: Revelation, by Mikaeyla Kopievsky
Revelation is the novella prequel to the Divided Elements series by Australian author Mikaeyla Kopievsky. Set in a future Paris after the Singularity and Emancipation, citizens now revel in a veritable utopia of ubiquitous drugs, alcohol, and entertainment, washed down with full employment, universal healthcare, and affordable housing. All made possible by the Orthodoxy—a new […]
Review: Beyond – A Short Story Collection, by Alanah Andrews
I’ve become a big fan of short story collections in recent years. They’re fabulous to dip in and out of, and great for when you’re tired and can’t focus on a novel-length narrative. Beyond, by Alanah Andrews, is aimed at YA level but is very enjoyable for adults as well. The stories range in length […]
Review: Eve of Eridu, by Alanah Andrews
Emotions are dangerous; restraint of feeling is necessary for a peaceful society. ~ Book of Eridu Nuclear fallout and and biological warfare have driven the few remaining people underground to try to keep the human race alive in a new society they call Eridu. Several generations later, Eve is entering her final cycle before the […]
Review: The Shining Wall, by Melissa Ferguson
LeaderCorp didn’t care about people. Everything was a transaction to them. If the cost exceeded their benefit, there was no point. The Shining Wall, by Melissa Ferguson, imagines a future dystopia that mashes together all the worst possible scenarios from a deeply humanised perspective – climate change, human destruction (increased radiation levels are mentioned), exploitation […]
