The Forcing by Paul E. Hardisty
Civilisation is collapsing…
Frustrated and angry after years of denial and inaction, in a last-ditch attempt to stave off disaster, a government of youth has taken power in North America, and a policy of institutionalised ageism has been introduced. All those older than the prescribed age are deemed responsible for the current state of the world, and are to be ‘relocated’, their property and assets confiscated.
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David Ashworth, known by his friends and students as Teacher, and his wife May, find themselves among the thousands being moved to ‘new accommodation’ in the abandoned southern deserts – thrown together with a wealthy industrialist and his wife, a high court lawyer, two recent immigrants to America, and a hospital worker. Together, they must come to terms with their new lives in a land rendered unrecognisable.
As the terrible truth of their situation is revealed, lured by rumours of a tropical sanctuary where they can live in peace, they plan a perilous escape. But the world outside is more dangerous than they could ever have imagined. And for those who survive, nothing will ever be the same again…
My Review
This is a hard book to review. The Forcing takes place in a world where a climate emergency was inevitable, disaster was just around the corner, the population had reached 13 billion, one third of the animals had become extinct, the seas were full of toxic waste and we did nothing. All those older than the prescribed age (ie born before 1990) were deemed responsible for the current state of the world, and were to be ‘relocated’, their property and assets confiscated. It is probably the first time I have read a book that blames the millennials rather than the boomers for the state of the earth.
I thought it was going to be all Logan’s Run – anyone over 30 send to ‘Carousel’ where they were exterminated (if I remember correctly), Michael York as a handsome Sandman-turned-rebel who goes on the run to help people escape. The Forcing, however, is much darker, more terrifying and potentially could happen if we don’t address the issues now.
Poor David Ashworth (our narrator), known as ‘Teacher’ is an 89-er. He’s done his best to educate his students, but there’s nothing more he can do. I’m afraid I couldn’t stand his wife May. I know she is bipolar and we have to be understanding, but still. She’s horrible to him. She’s also horrible to their son Lachie, who is part of the youth government, but still couldn’t find a way to prevent her from being relocated with her husband – she would rather stay behind on her own.
Then there’s Derek Argent – our potential ‘villain’ of the piece – rude, arrogant, very wealthy, powerful – he reminds me of Donald Trump. Maybe he is supposed to. His wife Samantha is equally rude and selfish.
Kwesi and Francoise are a couple and they are both lovely. He is much older than her but she chose to go with him even though she didn’t need to. That’s true love. Finally we have Lan, though we don’t see that much of him. This motley band of diverse characters are thrown together in one apartment, with barely any belongings, rationed food and water, and no hope for the future. It’s time to plan their escape.
The Forcing is certainly a very bleak read, seemingly devoid of hope. The main protagonists find themselves acting out of character, though not to the extent that some of the dreadful people they meet along the way do. It’s a dangerous world and one that those who survive will barely recognise. It’s a terrifying look at the future and one that I hope will never happen, in my lifetime, in that of my children, or my grandchildren. But there is still a chance of redemption if we act now. I just hope someone is listening…
Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours
About the Author
Canadian Paul Hardisty has spent twenty-five years working all over the world as an environmental scientist and freelance journalist. He has roughnecked on oil rigs in Texas, explored for gold in the Arctic, mapped geology in Eastern Turkey (where he was befriended by PKK rebels), and rehabilitated water wells in the wilds of Africa. He was in Ethiopia in 1991 as the Mengistu regime fell, survived a bomb blast in a café in Sana’a in 1993, and was one of the last Westerners out of Yemen at the outbreak of the 1994 civil war. In 2022 he criss-crossed Ukraine reporting on the Russian invasion. Paul is a university professor and CEO of the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS). The four novels in his Claymore Straker series, The Abrupt Physics of Dying, The Evolution of Fear, Reconciliation for the Dead and Absolution, all received great critical acclaim and The Abrupt Physics of Dying was shortlisted for the CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger and a Telegraph Book of the Year. Paul drew on his own experiences to write Turbulent Wake, an extraordinary departure from his high-octane, thought-provoking thrillers. Paul is a keen outdoorsman, a conservation volunteer, and lives in Western Australia.
Orenda Books is a small independent publishing company specialising in literary fiction with a heavy emphasis on crime/thrillers, and approximately half the list in translation. They’ve been twice shortlisted for the Nick Robinson Best Newcomer Award at the IPG awards, and publisher and owner Karen Sullivan was a Bookseller Rising Star in 2016. In 2018, they were awarded a prestigious Creative Europe grant for their translated books programme. Three authors, including Agnes Ravatn, Matt Wesolowski and Amanda Jennings have been WHSmith Fresh Talent picks, and Ravatn’s The Bird Tribunal was shortlisted for the Dublin Literary Award, won an English PEN Translation Award, and adapted for BBC Radio Four ’s Book at Bedtime. Six titles have been short- or long-listed for the CWA Daggers. Launched in 2014 with a mission to bring more international literature to the UK market, Orenda Books publishes a host of debuts, many of which have gone on to sell millions worldwide, and looks for fresh, exciting new voices that push the genre in new directions. Bestselling authors include Ragnar Jonasson, Antti Tuomainen, Gunnar Staalesen, Michael J. Malone, Kjell Ola Dahl, Louise Beech, Johana Gustawsson, Lilja Sigurðardóttir and Sarah Stovell.
