Lee Allen's Blog, page 26
October 28, 2020
Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House - Review
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley JacksonMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
A classic haunted house tale of gothic suspense by Shirley Jackson.
Hill House has stood empty for decades; any attempted occupant having departed swiftly within a few days of coming to stay there. Dr John Montague, a philosopher and researcher of the paranormal, strives to gather a small group together to stay in the house in an attempt to unravel the mysteries which surround it.
One member of this party is Eleanor. Having been caring for her ailing mother for many years up until her death, Eleanor is in search of her very identity and to find her own place in the world. She hopes she may find herself, as one of the explorers of Hill House. But her dream-like journey is soon to descend into a nightmare as she reaches her destination.
Brooding and forbidding, Hill House is an anomalous spectre, with its bizarre construction and indistinct aura. Along with Dr Montague and their fellow explorers, Theodora and Luke, Eleanor begins to experience the phenomena that may have chased so many away in the past. But it appears the house is paying a particular interest in Eleanor; its motives surely malign.
A short novel that immediately provokes a haunting atmosphere, ‘The Haunting of Hill House’ takes you on a slow descent into hysteria as the characters settle uncomfortably, never quite seeing the influences at work, never quite understanding what is happening around them. The house is almost a character in itself, a dominant presence that overpowers all the characters that live and breathe within. Comparatively, the characters are almost like empty shells, the house exploring and exploiting their psyches, seeking a place in which to breed its madness.
Brimming with atmosphere and burgeoning tension, the story builds deftly to its climax, an escalation into terror from which there may be no escape.
The novel has been thrice adapted for the screen – first in 1963 as the theatrical film ‘The Haunting’, which received mixed reviews at the time, but has since grown a cult following. Its second adaptation came in 1999, another theatrical film also entitled ‘The Haunting’, this version receiving negative reviews. In 2018, Netflix adapted the novel under its full name as a ten-episode series. Well-received and popular amongst viewers, it received a follow-up; retroactively becoming the first in anthology series ‘The Haunting’. Despite the dominating presence of the house in the novel, it appears destined to forever find its name left unspoken.
‘The Haunting of Hill House’ is a gothic horror classic and a fine example of the genre, a short sharp shiver to be enjoyed in the darkened months as the nights draw in.
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October 26, 2020
Robert Galbraith's Troubled Blood - Review
Troubled Blood by Robert GalbraithMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Strike and Robin take on an investigation into a cold case – the 1974 disappearance of a doctor, believed to be the victim of a serial killer.
While visiting his dying aunt in Cornwall, Strike is approached by Anna, who asks him to consider investigating the disappearance of her mother, Margot Bamborough, four decades before. Strike knows the possibility of success is unlikely to impossible after such a length of time and without the resources available to the police, who were themselves unable to solve the crime. Nevertheless, his interest is piqued. Robin, now Strike’s partner in the detective agency and currently navigating her divorce, travels to Falmouth to meet with Anna and her wife, Kim, alongside Strike. They agree to work on the case for twelve months.
There were several lines of inquiry followed by police during their investigation into Margot’s disappearance, chief among them and the widely regarded opinion that she fell victim to serial killer the Essex Butcher – but there was not sufficient evidence to charge Dennis Creed, now incarcerated in Broadmoor, with Margot’s murder. Already juggling multiple cases, the agency begins its own investigation, reviewing the shaky police investigation, which had been led by two detectives before it went cold. The first detective, Talbot, had been suffering a breakdown, becoming ever more obsessed with tracking down the Essex Butcher and believing he could solve Margot’s disappearance by occult means.
Across the next year, Strike and Robin track down the original witnesses, chase down old leads and uncover new revelations, whilst juggling the agency’s caseload and their personal challenges, not least of all the complications of their own relationship. The spectre of the Occult is never far behind them in this labyrinthine mystery of long shadows, buried lies and twisted secrets.
‘Troubled Blood’, the fifth novel in the series, is instantly engrossing, the narrative propelled by the entwining plots and sub-plots. Keeping a story so tautly plotted throughout over nine-hundred pages is a feat in itself, each scene and character described in exquisite detail, the images and the emotions expertly conjured. Galbraith’s ‘Strike’ series is pitched perfectly between classic and modern, of such high quality that the result reads like a cocktail of the masters of the genre – a blend of Agatha Christie and Lynda La Plante, with a dash of Stephen King, while the voice of the storyteller is always, unmistakably, J.K. Rowling.
I loved the previous four books in the series and this is my favourite so far. Strike and Robin are such endearing characters – both full of compassion and moral integrity, striving to uncover the truth through skilled investigation and enquiring intellect – in some ways so similar and in others vastly different. These two characters and their relationship are the driving force behind the series as much as the individual investigations within each novel. We may have all experienced a relationship like theirs at some point in our lives; so enriching, yet so complicated.
The solution to the mystery is sublime, the twist hidden in plain sight and so brilliantly orchestrated; a deeply satisfying conclusion to an epic novel packed with suspense, investigative research, multiple cases, emotion and heartbreak, laughter, and the lingering shadows of evil.
‘Troubled Blood’ is a thrilling and absorbing mystery from the pen of a master storyteller. I very much hope we get to see this one adapted for TV like the previous four, and cannot wait to devour book six – this is crime fiction at its absolute finest.
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October 9, 2020
Stephen King's The Institute - Review
The Institute by Stephen KingMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Approximately 800,000 children are reported missing each year in the United States alone. Stephen King’s immersive thriller questions what may happen to the thousands of those children who are never found, lost forever within the walls of ‘The Institute’.
Chance circumstances lead ex-police officer Tim Jamieson to take up the job of Night Knocker in the small town of DuPray, a decision that leads him to stay longer than planned. Meanwhile, exceptionally bright Luke Ellis, only twelve years old, is already facing a crossroads in his life, having surpassed all the education his school can offer him. As well as his academic talents, Luke is also struggling to understand the hint of telekinetic ability he possesses.
One night, a team of strangers breaks into Luke’s home, murdering his parents and kidnapping him. He wakes in a secret, secluded facility, where experiments are conducted on children with the explanation that their purpose is to achieve a greater good. Luke befriends several of his fellow prisoners and it soon becomes clear that between them they possess telekinetic or telepathic abilities to varying degrees, something that those behind the Institute are attempting to enhance and harness for their own purposes.
Their situation appears hopeless, their fates inevitable. But when a new resident arrives at the Institute – Avery Dixon, a young boy with exceptional telepathic abilities – Luke realises there is a glimmer of hope. Together, Luke and Avery devise an audacious escape plan; one that will, by chance, lead to both the town of DuPray and into the heart of the Institute itself, threatening this secret facility to its very foundations.
When you pick up a Stephen King novel, you are submerged in the life of the characters and, by the end, left with the sense of the journey those characters have experienced between the beginning and the end. Stories at their best conjure and provoke thoughts and feelings, blending them together in a way that allows the tale to touch your very soul. King is a master of telling such stories and ‘The Institute’ is another fine example – packed with well-developed characters and detailed plotting that sucks you in to the emotional and intellectual plights of each character and situation. Moral and ethical questions are raised throughout, while the main characters are thrown into peril, building to a dramatic climax.
With shades of sci-fi and conspiracy thrillers blended with horror, the novel shines in its characterisation of the imprisoned children and how, even in the most horrific and terrifying of circumstances, they build solid, emotional bonds with each other. This is a story about friendship, standing for justice, and putting trust and faith in others even when the odds are stacked against you.
Another intense, gripping and emotionally-resonant thriller in the ever-expanding bibliography of a master storyteller.
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October 2, 2020
Lynda La Plante's Blunt Force - Review
Blunt Force by Lynda La PlanteMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Another compelling case for Jane Tennison in the sixth novel in the 'Prime Suspect' prequel series.
Following her departure from the Flying Squad following the events of ‘The Dirty Dozen’, Jane is now working on petty crimes and tedious cases that leave her feeling she has hit a dead end in her career. Reunited with her friend and colleague Spencer Gibbs, with whom she first worked back when she was a probationer at Hackney, he is as frustrated as she is at their station in the heart of Belgravia.
Yet their frustrations prove to be short-lived. The brutal murder of theatrical agent Charles Foxley launches a murder investigation that will test the team's skills to the limit, dealing with a group of suspects whose daily lives and careers require them to be excellent performers and the police are never quite sure whom or what can be trusted. As they delve deeper, Jane, Spencer and the team discover that beneath the veneer of glitz and glamour lies a dark underbelly that breeds abuse, crime and corruption.
Featuring quirky characters, with compelling sub-plots weaved around the central investigation, Lynda has once again delivered a superb chapter in Jane’s life and career that grips from the very first page and doesn’t let go until the final moments, leaving you anxious for the next installment in the series. An exposé on the darker side of the world of show-business is particularly topical in recent times, the novel touching on themes of abuse and prejudice, all delicately and respectfully handled. Having worked as an actress before turning to writing, Lynda brings her trademark authenticity to the characters of the agents, actors and others that inhabit this world whom the police encounter whilst investigating the case. Dark and thought-provoking, but also packed with moments of humour, ‘Blunt Force’ is a fantastic novel; I sped through it, desperate to find out what happened next and how it would conclude, but saddened to reach the end, wanting to delve back in – the conflicting emotions conjured by a great book.
I have been a huge fan of Lynda La Plante’s work since I was a teenager – first on TV with ‘Widows’ and ‘Trial and Retribution’, the novelisations of which also being the first of Lynda’s books that I read, followed by the exceptional novels ‘Bella Mafia’ and ‘Entwined’ and many more. The Anna Travis series would soon become an annual treat, saved for a holiday to savour in relaxation. Amongst both TV and books, ‘Prime Suspect’ and the character of Jane Tennison are iconic in the world of crime fiction, and I eagerly await each new novel in the ‘Tennison’ series every year. In ‘Blunt Force’, Jane celebrates her thirtieth birthday (something I have also done this year), so we still have over a decade before we reach ‘Prime Suspect’. With the advances in forensic science that came in the 1980s, particularly DNA fingerprinting, there are doubtless many interesting cases to come, while we will also come to learn how Jane fights through the patriarchal bureaucracy to earn her promotion to DI and, eventually, to the newly-promoted DCI we meet when Helen Mirren first arrives on screen.
By this stage in the series, the sub-plots are becoming gently serialised, so I would always recommend starting with ‘Tennison’ to experience Jane’s story from the beginning. One key sub-plot that carries over from ‘The Dirty Dozen’ is that of police corruption – I have a feeling this won’t be the last we see of this storyline throughout the series. It was also great to see Spencer Gibbs again – I find him hilarious and he has a great friendship with Jane. The development of Jane’s character moves forward in each novel in the series – DS Tennison is now far from the naïve probationary WPC we meet in the first novel. The character development is always a highlight of an ongoing series.
Tightly plotted and richly detailed, ‘Blunt Force’ continues this exceptional police procedural series; I am now eagerly awaiting book seven!
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September 4, 2020
Robert Bloch's Psycho - Review
Psycho by Robert BlochMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
The classic horror story of quiet, reserved motel owner Norman Bates and his reclusive, domineering mother.
Bates Motel, isolated since a new road directed traffic away from it, hosts few guests. After a spur-of-the-moment decision to steal from her employer, Mary Crane takes a wrong turning on the way to meet with her fiancé, Sam Loomis. It is late and she decides to take a room at the secluded motel and continue on her journey the following morning. She meets Norman and gratefully accepts his invitation to eat with him at the house he shares with Mother before retiring to her room for the night. But she hasn’t accounted for the extent of Mother’s possessiveness.
Lila Crane arrives at Sam Loomis’ hardware store in search of her sister. A detective hired by Mary’s employer is also on her trail, the three of them determined to track Mary’s whereabouts and clear up the business of the theft. The trail leads them to Bates Motel. But Norman is very protective of Mother and will do what is necessary to protect her, just as she will do what is necessary to protect her troubled son.
Bloch wields the suspense like a knife, the novel tightly plotted as if woven by a taxidermist’s needle. The iconic scenes are all here – Norman’s voyeurism through the hole behind the picture in his office; the car slowly sinking into the swamp; the sudden graphic violence of the shower scene. This is as much a psychological thriller as it is a horror story, building in intensity from its opening on a dark, stormy night to its revelatory climax.
The 1959 novel has a remarkable legacy. Adapted as Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece ‘Psycho’ in 1960, it was not only controversial but a major success. Bloch himself would write two sequels – ‘Psycho II’ (1982) and ‘Psycho House’ (1990); and Chet Williamson would later take up the mantle with ‘Psycho: Sanitarium’ (2016). The film adaptation is widely regarded to be the grandfather of the slasher sub-genre and was one of the major influences for John Carpenter’s 1978 ‘Halloween’. The slasher popularity ignited by ‘Halloween’ led to ‘Psycho’ developing its own franchise, with the theatrical sequels ‘Psycho II’ (1983) and ‘Psycho III’ (1986), both unrelated to Bloch’s novels; the TV spin-off pilot ‘Bates Motel’ (1987) and TV movie sequel ‘Psycho IV: The Beginning’(1990); followed by theatrical remake ‘Psycho’ in 1998. The superlative ‘Bates Motel’ (2013-17) explored the history and relationship between Norman and his mother, Norma.
Norman Bates’ legacy has been influenced by real-life horrors. Two years before the novel’s release, Ed Gein was arrested for two brutal murders. Bloch was already working on his novel and it would be completed before the full story of the body-snatching and murders emerged, which included the discovery of clothing made of human skin and theories of Gein’s unhealthy obsession with his controlling mother. Bloch commented at the time how remarkable it was that his fiction corresponded to reality, and Gein subsequently earnt a reference in the novel. His crimes would go on to influence Tobe Hooper’s 1974 ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ (yet another precursor to the slasher sub-genre) and Thomas Harris’ classic 1988 novel ‘The Silence of the Lambs’, itself adapted into a successful film in 1991. Rob Zombie (who would later direct the remake of ‘Halloween’ and its sequel), was also influenced by Gein’s crimes in making his ‘Firefly’ series – ‘House of 1000 Corpses’, ‘The Devil’s Rejects’ and ‘3 From Hell’.
Dripping in suspense, ‘Psycho’ is a twisted horror thriller that deserves its classic status, leaving you to question those around you and wonder what may really lurk beneath the surface and in the darkest recesses of their minds.
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September 1, 2020
Lee Child's Echo Burning - Review
Echo Burning by Lee ChildMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Jack Reacher returns in another gripping thriller, the lawless drifter finding himself caught in a tangled web of prejudice, corruption and violence.
Under the heat of the Texas sun, a boy and two men watch a house, tracking and recording the movements of its occupants. Meanwhile, a team of professional assassins - a woman and two men – are beginning a mission. Alone and adrift, Jack Reacher chooses to avoid a confrontation with an angry Texas cop with whom he had an altercation in a bar the previous evening. Thumbing for a lift, he is surprised when a young woman pulls over. But Carmen Greer has an ulterior motive and Reacher is exactly the sort of person she’s been looking for. Her abusive husband is due to be released from prison. Terrified at the prospect of his release and desperate for a new life with their young daughter, she has a proposal – she wants Reacher to kill her husband.
But Reacher is not a cold-blooded assassin. Yet he is sympathetic to her plight and agrees to do what he can to help, claiming to her husband’s family that he is simply looking for work on the ranch. Only he soon realises that his agreement to warn off an abusive bully only scratches the surface of what lies rotten and decaying under the intense heat and the situation is about to become far more complicated.
Fast-paced and action-packed with a character-driven heart, ‘Echo Burning’ is a fantastic entry in the Reacher series, which goes from strength to strength. I particularly liked the relationship Reacher developed with Carmen’s young daughter, Ellie; while the determined and hard-working young lawyer, Alice, is a refreshing female character in a genre that is often male-dominated. In fact, the whole concept of ‘Echo Burning’ – exploring spousal abuse and racial prejudice, and featuring several strong female characters – makes the novel stand out from the crowd.
Aside from references to Reacher’s girlfriend Jodie (who featured in the two previous novels, ‘Tripwire’ and ‘The Visitor’), this is very much a standalone entry in the series and can easily be read independently or out-of-sequence. Jack Reacher is such a brilliant character to go on a journey with – a tough loner driven by a strong moral code, never afraid to question authority and the perceived ‘normal’ in the pursuit of justice. Reacher’s situation allows for different formulas to be explored in each novel – ‘Echo Burning’ is part action thriller, part domestic thriller, with a touch of social legal drama.
Building to a storming finale, ‘Echo Burning’ delivers another untangled mystery, merciless retribution and crumbling of injustice, with Reacher walking out into the heat once again adrift, doubtless on his way to get caught up in his next adventure.
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August 29, 2020
Gillian Flynn's Sharp Objects - Review
Sharp Objects by Gillian FlynnMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
An unflinching exploration of a town filled with secrets, child murder and the scars of abuse.
One young girl murdered. Another missing. Camille Preaker, a reporter based in Chicago, is dispatched back to her hometown by her editor to be the first to investigate what looks to be the beginning of the work of a serial killer. Camille has uncomfortable memories of her time there – still haunted by the tragic death of her sister many years before, a strained relationship with her mother, and the origins of her unhealthy relationship with alcohol and her history of self-harm.
The discovery of a second girl’s body leaves the town shaken and grief-stricken. The closed community do not welcome Camille’s interference. They are steadfast in their belief that an outsider is claiming the lives of their children. Only Camille and an out-of-town police detective seem to consider the possibility that the killer may be part of the community.
Meanwhile, Camille reacquaints herself with her estranged mother, emotionally-hollow stepfather and now thirteen-year-old younger sister who seems to hold many in the town in a trance-like grip with a personality veering between mature, sadistic adult and young, innocent child. The longer Camille stays and the deeper she digs, the more the lines between past and present blur. The scars of the past still burn and she finds they may prove to be the key to unlocking the mystery.
Gillian Flynn has a talent for getting beneath the skin of dysfunctional human relationships. I first discovered her work, as many others did, with ‘Gone Girl’, so have read her three novels in reverse order to their publication. ‘Sharp Objects’ deals with some difficult subject matter – mental health issues; bullying; trauma and abuse – both self-abuse and abusive relationships; and, not least of all, the murder of children.
Camille may be troubled and defensive, but I found her an endearing and relatable character and was swept up in her story. The novel is exceptionally plotted – Camille’s own backstory, her personal relationships and the wider mystery of the crimes and the town weave together seamlessly, building to an intense climax where the threads intertwine and the truth is revealed to devastating effect.
While ‘Gone Girl’ and ‘Dark Places’ have been adapted as films, ‘Sharp Objects’ has been adapted as a TV miniseries, which I’m highly anticipating watching after reading the book.
Psychologically compelling and grippingly sinister, ‘Sharp Objects’ is a chilling debut novel; a portrait of inflicted evil and the long shadows it casts.
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August 26, 2020
Anne Rice's The Mummy - Review
The Mummy by Anne RiceMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Anne Rice tackles another classic horror legend in this Edwardian/Egyptian gothic romance.
Egyptologist Lawrence Stratford unearths the archaeological discovery of the century – the tomb of Ramses the Great. Inside, the perfectly preserved mummy of the ancient pharaoh, long believed to have already been discovered and residing in a museum in Cairo. Lawrence begins to transcribe the hieroglyphs and Latin and Greek texts in the tomb, hoping to uncover its mysteries. They refer to an elixir granting eternal life. But before Lawrence can uncover more, he is found dead. Rumours of curses abound – but the truth is far more malign, though the only witness to his murder is the slowly awakening mummy. The mummy is transported to London, where it is held in the Stratford home prior to its acquisition by the British Museum. Lawrence’s daughter, Julie, grieving for a loss of her father, finds herself in danger at the hand of her father’s killer. Rejuvenated by rays of sunlight, Ramses fully awakens and prevents her murder.
Intrigued and terrified, Julie shelters Ramses, watching as he transforms from a shrivelled, dusty corpse into an attractive, handsome man, full of youth and energy, absorbing language as quickly as he consumes food and wine. Having lain dormant for centuries, Ramses quickly adapts to the modern world – he and Julie developing a passionate desire for each other. But Ramses is also haunted by the memories of the last time he was awakened to serve as an advisor to pharaohs – by the last ruler of Ancient Egypt, Cleopatra, with whom he fell in love, who turned down his offer to partake of the elixir if Ramses would not also grant it to her lover, Mark Antony.
Travelling from England to Egypt with Julie and a small group of others, Ramses is staggered by the changes to his homeland, while he struggles to maintain his disguise in the modern world. What the future will hold for him as an immortal surrounded by mortals remains uncertain. Then a chance discovery in a museum leads Ramses to take action that endangers him and all those around him, unleashing an unrelenting force of fury and vengeance.
I love Ancient Egyptian themes and stories set in the Victorian, Edwardian and pre-First World War eras, from which many of the classic gothic horror monsters originate (in their typically recognisable forms in literature and film, that is). We don’t see Egyptian mummies reimagined as frequently as vampires or Frankenstein’s monster, so a new mummy story to delve into is always an exciting prospect. Taking inspiration from classic short stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, Anne Rice’s ‘The Mummy’ is a romanticised and eroticised version of the concept – Ramses is an immortal hero in the image of a Greek demi-god. Conflicted and at times amoral, he is nonetheless very much the co-protagonist in this tale, rather than the typical antagonist of horror literature. Both the love story and horror unfold throughout the novel, exploring moral questions along the way while under the intense heat of the Egyptian sun, building to a fiery climax and its emotional denouement.
The story reportedly began life as a screenplay for a film, which Rice later turned into a novel instead. A sequel would follow twenty-eight years later with the novel ‘The Passion of Cleopatra’, co-written with Rice’s son Christopher Rice.
Oozing with slow-burning horror and the subtle eroticism that bleeds through Anne Rice’s work, ‘The Mummy’ is a decadent Egyptian delight that will satisfy a desire for a summer romantic-horror fix.
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August 18, 2020
Robert Thorogood's Death Knocks Twice - Review
Death Knocks Twice by Robert ThorogoodMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
DI Richard Poole and the team return in the third 'Death in Paradise' novel, for yet another brilliant and entertaining mystery.
A woman arrives at the police station, anxious and on edge, reporting that she is being stalked by a mysterious vagrant who watches her at her home - a coffee plantation where she lives with her family, the Beaumonts. When Richard and Camille accompany her to the plantation, they are searching the jungle when they hear gunshots, leading to the discovery of the vagrant's body in a secluded shower room, locked from the inside. It is initially assumed that his death is suicide. But nothing is as it first appears and Richard soon becomes convinced that the man was murdered.
The Beaumont family have a long and controversial history on the island, while their recent family history and current feuds and misdeeds seem to have done little to improve their reputations. Uncovering secrets, lies and misdirection, Richard and the team are determined to uncover the truth. But can they solve the mystery before death knocks twice?
It's always a joy to revisit the original team in the novels. I absolutely loved this book, my favourite of the three in the series so far, and read it in just one weekend. Some of its themes are also quite topical - weaved throughout the narrative are domestic abuse and racial prejudice, the societal injustices that have allowed male and/or white dominance and criminality, as present today as through history. Thorogood's characterisation of the four leads on the page is perfect - as you read, you can hear the voices and imagine the mannerisms of the cast, which is especially effective in the comedy elements. 'Death in Paradise' has always expertly balanced the crimes and comedy - the characters and some of their predicaments bring the humour, while the investigations and the nature of the crimes retain the necessary seriousness of their nature. A cleverly orchestrated locked-room mystery, packed with twists and turns and skulduggery, presents the perfect challenge for both the police team and the reader.
Something of interest to note: I regarded the first two novels as taking place between and around episodes of the first two series, prior to the first episode of series 3. However, assuming series 3 took place in the year it was broadcast in 2014, that sets this book as taking place after that date (in its year of publication, 2017) - thus the novels present an alternative narrative to the TV series, undoing what is perhaps the only slight misstep the show has made in almost ten years.
While I identified the murderer and their motives before the reveal, part of the fun of a whodunnit is trying to solve the mystery yourself and solving it takes nothing away from the enjoyment. Robert Thorogood's writing is very skilfully done, so, during Richard's summing-up, I still found myself questioning my theory right until the final moment. Much like the first two novels in the series, this feels like a feature-length episode in novel form, transporting you to the sandy beaches and locales of Saint Marie.
'Death Knocks Twice' is another entertaining and engrossing novel; I'm looking forward to soon reading the fourth, 'Murder in the Caribbean'.
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August 14, 2020
Greg Hickey's Our Dried Voices - Review
Our Dried Voices by Greg HickeyMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
A dystopian fable of a human colony of the future and one man’s quest to answer questions that no one thinks to ask.
Humanity’s progress has accelerated in recent decades and continues to do so into the future, its population increasing exponentially. While human proclivity for warfare and aggression wipes out large chunks of the population during times of conflict, the population is growing too large to be sustained on planet Earth. Medical breakthroughs and cures for numerous diseases, including cancer and HIV/AIDS, mean that larger proportions of people are living for longer – the only killers being old age and violence. Meanwhile, we continue to suffocate the planet with the by-products and waste from our progress and it becomes clear that sustaining life on Earth is finite. Technological progress has us reaching out farther into the stars; first in unmanned missions, then manned missions, and finally the beginnings of colonisation of another planet suitable for sustaining life. This planet is Pearl. The year is 2325.
So, the stage is set for the action of this particular tale set within the colony of Pearl, presumably many years later. We find ourselves in an apparent utopia – green fields and blue waters, human beings living together in peace and harmony, eating together, sleeping together, like one community. They have no need for money – food, clothing and shelter is provided for them – they live idyllic, simple lives.
But, scratch the surface and quickly you realise this is no utopia for anyone with even the slightest intellectual or emotional capacity. People do not effectively communicate; they do not wonder; they do not question. They have no identity, no individuality; they have no names. There are no friendships, no emotional bonds. Sex is essentially anonymous. This is no true community and family is non-existent.
Inevitably, there are challenges that disrupt the mechanics of the colony. But these are soon resolved and life continues as if nothing has ever happened. But one man remembers. He recognises that a human hand was required to fix the problems, that these heroes took on an identity, but soon quickly disappeared from colony life. The day comes when he, who will come to be known as Samuel, finds himself striving to solve such problems and delving into the hidden mechanics of the colony.
He develops a friendship with another colonist – whom he comes to call Penny. Their relationship is the emotional heart of the story – there’s a sweetness to it like the friendship between children. Together, they continue to address problems facing the colony. But the challenges soon begin to resemble sabotage, the result of deliberate actions by some unseen other. As the danger to life in the colony mounts, Samuel becomes determined to face this manipulative force and discover the truth behind the colony of Pearl.
Once I’d started reading, I didn’t want to put this book down. Packed with multiple ingredients – dystopian sci-fi, intriguing mystery, a growing emotional bond – Hickey has skilfully written a tale of simplicity that simultaneously addresses many thought-provoking and timely themes. Most prevalent is how humanity’s progress can become counter-productive; technology so advanced that the majority of people no longer have use for their brains. Much like the structure of the colony itself, the story can be read on two levels: an enjoyable, breezy veneer, shrouding the deeper revelation that raises moral questions. This is a story that different readers will take different things away from. I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope to read more by Greg Hickey in the future – hopefully, one day, a return to Pearl.
Throughout the novel, I was struck by the story’s fable-like quality – like an Old Testament allusion. ‘Our Dried Voices’ is a glimpse of a possible future – here is the warning, but will the lesson be learned?
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