Lightning-fast read contained a strong mix of dystopian, sci-fi, and fantasy elements

Dystopian? Check. Science fiction? Check. Fantasy? Check. Hmmm, anyone who knows me will also know that I freaking love any book that fuses those three genres. Wonder why that is? Oh, right, it’s because dystopian, sci-fi, and fantasy elements like to run rampant in my own work, complete with libertarian messaging, might I add. 

That said, I definitely found a cool comp title not only to share here but with my core reading audience. Because something tells me they’ll fall head over heels here.

When I first picked up The Erik Blair Diaries by John W. Whitehead, I thought I’d get simply a dystopian/sci-fi novel since the two run hand-in-hand. But no, I ended up with a work that contained just enough fantasy, making this one a complete genre-fusion read. And it’s something we don’t always have enough of across roughly 10 million-plus books on Amazon and other outlets.

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The dystopian elements were self-explanatory, as this book is a ‘spiritual successor’ in many ways to George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four. But, with a mass surveillance state in 2084, in which there are numerous ‘robo animals’ and ‘insectoids,’ among other terrifying creatures, the fantasy concepts got me since one doesn’t even have to explain the latter if they don’t feel the need. In other words, they’re virtually limitless in every way imaginable.

Fantasy elements made The Erik Blair Diaries click

In my previous piece (linked above), I mentioned that I can see a lot of what’s going on in this book happening in the future. But, of course, not all of it is possible, as Whitehead is still writing a story from his imagination. Or, at least I think that’s the case, as this guy is so knowledgeable he might know a thing or two that the rest of us don’t.

It’s, in many ways, the same style I used when I wrote The Rebellion Awakens, Book I in my Sentrys of Terrene Trilogy. And before you ask, I spelled Sentrys that way on purpose as opposed to Sentries. 

Anyway, now that I got that little fun fact out of the way, the cautionary tale was the big picture behind Rebellion, sharing quite a few qualities with The Erik Blair Diaries. Here are just a few of those similarities (and warnings):

Mass surveillance

Mass tracking

Med tyranny

Recite and repeat what you’re taught without questioning

Dissenters will be rounded up and potentially termed

But still, elemental magic, rune magic, communication with spirits, and other good stuff added that extra element in Rebellion. For Whitehead’s work, I saw something similar and if The Erik Blair Diaries wasn’t complete initially, those extra elements treated me to some added entertainment.

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