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Life Subtracted
Logan's Run Eats Soylent Green.
Anthony Cresswell has just been promoted.
After ten years coasting through life as a junior accountant, he is finally moving up in the world...all the way to the Subtractions department.
Unfortunately, thanks to extreme government measures taken to curb the ever-rising population levels, it is the Subtractions department’s job to subtract people rather than figures; all of societies underachievers are singled out, and forcibly reminded that their great sacrifice will make room for others.
For his first assignment Anthony Cresswell is given the task of subtracting himself. Needless to say, he’s not dead keen.
He goes on the run, pursued by every gun-toting government assassin in the city, with a secret buried deep in his mind that could either save or destroy mankind.
He just needs to survive long enough to find out what it is...
Life Subtracted is a fast-paced darkly humorous science fiction adventure, perfect for fans of Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett, and Terry Gilliam's Brazil.
266 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 19, 2019
7 people are currently reading
2 people want to read
About the author
David Hailwood
58 books8 followersDavid Hailwood used to write whilst hanging upside-down by his legs from a tree. Now he's an adult he's apparently not allowed to do that sort of thing any more, so instead he sits at home in his office, cackling manically at his computer (occasionally he remembers to switch it on).
With over 20 years experience of working in the UK comics market, his brain-matter has leaked onto the pages of numerous comic anthologies, including Egmont's Toxic, Strip magazine, Bulletproof, Accent UK, Futurequake, Violent and Meanwhile.
He's had comedy material broadcast on ITV and E4, been shortlisted for several BBC sitcom competitions, writes children's novels and edits the ‘100% Biodegradable’ comics anthology.
His debut children's novel 'The Last Of The Navel Navigators' was awarded a First as part of his Creative Writing MA at Chichester University.
With over 20 years experience of working in the UK comics market, his brain-matter has leaked onto the pages of numerous comic anthologies, including Egmont's Toxic, Strip magazine, Bulletproof, Accent UK, Futurequake, Violent and Meanwhile.
He's had comedy material broadcast on ITV and E4, been shortlisted for several BBC sitcom competitions, writes children's novels and edits the ‘100% Biodegradable’ comics anthology.
His debut children's novel 'The Last Of The Navel Navigators' was awarded a First as part of his Creative Writing MA at Chichester University.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 6, 2021
Derivative, certainly, but an entertaining fantasy fiction read anyway.
Millions of people have the words and scenes of popular entertainment stuck in their heads and can probably recite snippets of that old stuff to you. The fantasy and absurdity we grow up with helps to shape the sense of humour people carry around within them, always. It’s the inner voice that gees us along and memories that put a smile back on our faces instantly. “He’s not the Messiah. He’s just a very naughty boy.” Good times. This author is clearly no different as he’s re-worked obscure lines and scenes from classic sources into this book. Did he intend us to notice? That practice loses the appreciation of the audience if it is blatant lifting but perhaps warms the audience’s feelings of nostalgia and connection to the author if they feel they’ve spotted a detail that only a ‘Trufan’ would find. I think I have to give the author the benefit of the doubt and say the latter because, by the end, I liked this madcap story and he has done most of the creativity on his own.
The Holy Grail’s Black Knight duel scene echoes here, but arguably “have at thee” was snatched from Shakespeare’s Henry VI long before by the Pythons. There’s quite a lot in common with The Life of Brian too, with the everyman character being mistaken for the Messiah and then familiar lines, close to “Nice one, centurion”. The Hitch-hiker’s Guide is another influence, with a repeat of Arthur Dent’s line on first seeing a Vogon ship “What the hell’s that?”, the professor character having more than a suggestion of Slartibartfast, the professor misquoting Marvin the Paranoid Android’s line “It pains me to think down to your level”, the imminent destruction of planet Earth and then a scene near the end where the Earth is new and seemingly Neanderthals skulk amongst the trees, plus a couple more familiar forms of words I’ve since forgotten. There’s the Terry Pratchett thing where a character is claiming to be something unlikely and then holds up a random piece of cutlery or something as evidence. We even get a Red Dwarf “awooga”.
I have no complaint to make about the ‘Everyman’ character of Anthony/Colin because this is a common British anti-hero form (Brian, Rincewind, Lister, Arthur Dent), which originated in The Plain Man’s Pathway to Heaven, written by Arthur Dent (1601), so that’s fine for everyone to re-use in the same way that Hollywood can’t do without the ‘born on a farm, inherited unique skills, is tested, becomes a hero, is given a kingdom’ form copied from Gilgamesh (2,100 BC).
Okay, that reads as a heartless demolition but the reality is that I don’t think the book is particularly damaged by this stuff intruding into the story. The author’s tastes in entertainment come through here but they are very often aligned to the comedy fiction readership’s preferences anyway. He has probably written a book to entertain himself and is lucky in this case as it’s the same kind of story readers like me are into. I think you might be taken back to happier times if you gave this book a go because there's more to it than most plots you'll encounter.
Millions of people have the words and scenes of popular entertainment stuck in their heads and can probably recite snippets of that old stuff to you. The fantasy and absurdity we grow up with helps to shape the sense of humour people carry around within them, always. It’s the inner voice that gees us along and memories that put a smile back on our faces instantly. “He’s not the Messiah. He’s just a very naughty boy.” Good times. This author is clearly no different as he’s re-worked obscure lines and scenes from classic sources into this book. Did he intend us to notice? That practice loses the appreciation of the audience if it is blatant lifting but perhaps warms the audience’s feelings of nostalgia and connection to the author if they feel they’ve spotted a detail that only a ‘Trufan’ would find. I think I have to give the author the benefit of the doubt and say the latter because, by the end, I liked this madcap story and he has done most of the creativity on his own.
The Holy Grail’s Black Knight duel scene echoes here, but arguably “have at thee” was snatched from Shakespeare’s Henry VI long before by the Pythons. There’s quite a lot in common with The Life of Brian too, with the everyman character being mistaken for the Messiah and then familiar lines, close to “Nice one, centurion”. The Hitch-hiker’s Guide is another influence, with a repeat of Arthur Dent’s line on first seeing a Vogon ship “What the hell’s that?”, the professor character having more than a suggestion of Slartibartfast, the professor misquoting Marvin the Paranoid Android’s line “It pains me to think down to your level”, the imminent destruction of planet Earth and then a scene near the end where the Earth is new and seemingly Neanderthals skulk amongst the trees, plus a couple more familiar forms of words I’ve since forgotten. There’s the Terry Pratchett thing where a character is claiming to be something unlikely and then holds up a random piece of cutlery or something as evidence. We even get a Red Dwarf “awooga”.
I have no complaint to make about the ‘Everyman’ character of Anthony/Colin because this is a common British anti-hero form (Brian, Rincewind, Lister, Arthur Dent), which originated in The Plain Man’s Pathway to Heaven, written by Arthur Dent (1601), so that’s fine for everyone to re-use in the same way that Hollywood can’t do without the ‘born on a farm, inherited unique skills, is tested, becomes a hero, is given a kingdom’ form copied from Gilgamesh (2,100 BC).
Okay, that reads as a heartless demolition but the reality is that I don’t think the book is particularly damaged by this stuff intruding into the story. The author’s tastes in entertainment come through here but they are very often aligned to the comedy fiction readership’s preferences anyway. He has probably written a book to entertain himself and is lucky in this case as it’s the same kind of story readers like me are into. I think you might be taken back to happier times if you gave this book a go because there's more to it than most plots you'll encounter.
June 17, 2022
I really don’t want to leave this review because the author threatens in the afterword that enough good reviews might make him cut down in the drinking and write more. I definitely want them to write more, but I have my doubts that much of the content in this book came from a sober mind.
The premise is kinda silly, but it’s the least silly thing in the book. The car powered by curry (hello Dave!) with stinking innards is but one example of how grim the sights and smells of this overcrowded world are.
The premise is kinda silly, but it’s the least silly thing in the book. The car powered by curry (hello Dave!) with stinking innards is but one example of how grim the sights and smells of this overcrowded world are.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews