With Brexit being such a news item, and such an important historical event, I just had to highlight this incredible dystopian novel. Derek Raymond was the pen name of Robin Cook, a British novelist who died in 1994. I came upon this chilling gem by chance, having last year discovered Raymond's crime writing (I've previously mentioned him for that genre) for which he is known as the father of British noir. Dystopia is a literary genre that I've always loved to read, and I started with Orwell, as many of us did. A State of Denmark, written in 1964, in my view ranks up there with Orwell. It is a brutally chilling depiction of an England removed from Europe and having slid into dictatorship. Scotland has gone independent (a familiar theme there). And so those who had seen what was coming and voiced opposition to the dictator on his ascent are pursued. No spoilers from me, so I won't sat anything further about the storyline. However, as a literary study of dictatorship through bureaucratic stealth, insidious in its routinism, it is simply stunning. This is a must read. ABP |
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