Coronet Books, 1974. Paperback, 1st British edition. Post-apocalyptic novel set after nuclear war. Lank, a young man recently inducted into the priesthood, of Murph and a skeptical woman, struggle to find the truth of their world.
I found a copy of The Coins of Murph at a used book store and couldn't resist picking it up. I've never heard of the book or author. It's an obscure post-apocalyptic novel set after nuclear war. The survivors follow the religion of Murph which requires all decisions be made by flipping coins. The protagonist is a girl name Doll, an outcast who believes only in what she can see. Doll crosses paths with Lank, a young man recently inducted into the priesthood of Murph. Lank has a penchant for making bad choices and develops an attraction to Doll. Together they uncover the secret of Murph and have a chance to free their people from a false religion and live out their lives together. Can Doll trust Lank to finally make the right choice? I found it a compelling story but didn't like the ending.
This is a very silly book that's enjoyable because it doesn't seem to realise that fact. It even thinks it has something meaningful to say!
It's an old-skool pulp sci-fi post-apocalypse piece, playing hard into the "weird post-apocalypse religion" trope.
In the distant future, a small society of primitive survivors follow a religion based on...deciding everything by flipping coins. It's like a tribe made of fur-wearing Two-Face copies. BUT the social order could be challenged when young man meets young girl/mysterious secret/confront society with truth/etc etc.
Enjoyable if you like 70s post-apocalyptia kitsch.
A very dark and grim postapocalyptic tale about a society that bases all its decicions on coinflipping. Almost good, but falls apart over its casual treatment of rape :-(