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HellSans
When every word you read, whatever it says, fills you with euphoric calm - that's HellSans; a typeface used everywhere by the government. To keep people happy. Blissful. And controlled.
Unless you're allergic. And then every word is agony. Then HellSans is hell, and reading it will slowly kill you.
HellSans is the story of two women.
CEO Jane Ward is famous and successful, until she falls ill with the allergy and her life falls apart, dumping her in the ghetto with the other HSAs (HellSans Allergic). Where she meets...
Dr Icho Smith, a scientist who has a cure for the allergy. But she's on the run from the government, and the Seraphs, a terrorist group with their own plan for the HSAs...
HellSans innovative structure allows you to read either Jane or Icho's story first, before their lives meet in the terrifying finale.
HellSans is dystopia writ large. A novel where words can kill.
Unless you're allergic. And then every word is agony. Then HellSans is hell, and reading it will slowly kill you.
HellSans is the story of two women.
CEO Jane Ward is famous and successful, until she falls ill with the allergy and her life falls apart, dumping her in the ghetto with the other HSAs (HellSans Allergic). Where she meets...
Dr Icho Smith, a scientist who has a cure for the allergy. But she's on the run from the government, and the Seraphs, a terrorist group with their own plan for the HSAs...
HellSans innovative structure allows you to read either Jane or Icho's story first, before their lives meet in the terrifying finale.
HellSans is dystopia writ large. A novel where words can kill.
456 pages, Paperback
First published October 11, 2022
28 people are currently reading
716 people want to read
About the author
Ever Dundas
4 books63 followersEver Dundas writes literary fiction, horror, fantasy and sci-fi. Her first novel Goblin won the Saltire First Book Award 2017. Her second novel, critically acclaimed sci-fi thriller HellSans, is shortlisted for Scotland's National Book Award's Fiction Book of the Year 2023.
Ever is on The List's 2022 Hot 100 and The Bookseller's 2022 Top 150 influential people in UK publishing.
Ever is on The List's 2022 Hot 100 and The Bookseller's 2022 Top 150 influential people in UK publishing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
September 29, 2022
I know I really enjoyed a book when I can't stop thinking about it after I'm done reading it. I finished this book a few hours ago and the two main characters, Icho and Jane won't leave my thoughts. I feel like they'll be taking up residence there for a while to come.
HellSans is a book about a futuristic world where a country decides to only use a font called HellSans. It has the ability to create a state of bliss in anyone who reads it. In this world everyone also has their own personal little robot called an Inex. I was so enchanted by the thought of having an Inex, I even dreamed about them! The Inex can connect with their human to have internal conversations with them, read their biometrics and give them advice about how to live their best life! Sounds like a promising world, right? What could possibly go wrong?
Besides being a great dystopian sci-fi adventure, HellSans also raises some ethical questions about where society is today and how we want to go into the future. And on a technical note, do we really know who has access to all of the personal information we put out there on our phones, online, and other places where we connect with technology? No matter how innocent the information, could it fall into the wrong hands and be used against us? These are big questions to ponder. While your wheels are spinning on those, let's get back to the story!
The book itself is written in a style I haven't seen before. There are three sections. The first two run parallel to one another and can be read in any order. They tell the stories of the two main characters, Icho and Jane, from when they first meet to another shared pivotal point in the story (the start of the third section). You get to know each character quite well in these sections while they're going through their own trials. Then the story lines are pulled together quite nicely in the third section. Some additional interesting perspective work is done in the third section that I can't go into detail about because of spoilers. But I really enjoy how the perspective jumps from character to character to the third person perspective. It sounds like it should be confusing, but it isn't at all! This is why I love it!
So to wrap this up, this book had solid characters, a very realistic world, something deeper to think about - or not. You can ignore the societal and ethical questions altogether and just enjoy the story if you like.
The only thing that kept me from giving the book five stars was that it was a little hard to get into. It starts right out with action and it was hard to wrap my head around who the characters were, what was going on and why. But it didn't take me long to figure it out and I was fully invested in the story. I'm happy to give HellSans four solid stars.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Angry Robot, for the book in exchange for my honest review.
HellSans is a book about a futuristic world where a country decides to only use a font called HellSans. It has the ability to create a state of bliss in anyone who reads it. In this world everyone also has their own personal little robot called an Inex. I was so enchanted by the thought of having an Inex, I even dreamed about them! The Inex can connect with their human to have internal conversations with them, read their biometrics and give them advice about how to live their best life! Sounds like a promising world, right? What could possibly go wrong?
Besides being a great dystopian sci-fi adventure, HellSans also raises some ethical questions about where society is today and how we want to go into the future. And on a technical note, do we really know who has access to all of the personal information we put out there on our phones, online, and other places where we connect with technology? No matter how innocent the information, could it fall into the wrong hands and be used against us? These are big questions to ponder. While your wheels are spinning on those, let's get back to the story!
The book itself is written in a style I haven't seen before. There are three sections. The first two run parallel to one another and can be read in any order. They tell the stories of the two main characters, Icho and Jane, from when they first meet to another shared pivotal point in the story (the start of the third section). You get to know each character quite well in these sections while they're going through their own trials. Then the story lines are pulled together quite nicely in the third section. Some additional interesting perspective work is done in the third section that I can't go into detail about because of spoilers. But I really enjoy how the perspective jumps from character to character to the third person perspective. It sounds like it should be confusing, but it isn't at all! This is why I love it!
So to wrap this up, this book had solid characters, a very realistic world, something deeper to think about - or not. You can ignore the societal and ethical questions altogether and just enjoy the story if you like.
The only thing that kept me from giving the book five stars was that it was a little hard to get into. It starts right out with action and it was hard to wrap my head around who the characters were, what was going on and why. But it didn't take me long to figure it out and I was fully invested in the story. I'm happy to give HellSans four solid stars.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Angry Robot, for the book in exchange for my honest review.
September 14, 2022
2.5 stars
Given the synopsis, I expected a different book. I thought this would be an intellectual dystopian that addresses how health and forms of disabilities create class divides in society. Instead, I found this to be a very surface level story with an average plot and flat characters. I did think the narrative design was unique (how part 1 or part 2 could be read in either order). However, as a whole, I was very underwhelmed by this read.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
Given the synopsis, I expected a different book. I thought this would be an intellectual dystopian that addresses how health and forms of disabilities create class divides in society. Instead, I found this to be a very surface level story with an average plot and flat characters. I did think the narrative design was unique (how part 1 or part 2 could be read in either order). However, as a whole, I was very underwhelmed by this read.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
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March 13, 2023The premise is of a typeface that makes most people feel bliss when they see it and a few people have a reaction of whole-body agony and vomiting. Kind of like Comic Sans.
The actual story isn't really about typefaces, sadly. HellSans the font is very much a metaphor for how only one kind of discourse is acceptable in society and how people who don't conform to that are harmed by it, and treated as deviants by others. This is a book of ideas--about who bodies belong to, and what constitutes the self (memory, physicality, connection, status?), and also very explicitly about narrative, who's telling the story, who's the viewpoint, who's the main character.
It's also very very much about bodies in terms of how gross they are and how many expellable fluids they contain. Lots of body horror, torture etc but also, I've never seen so much vomit in a book (seriously if you have vomit issues don't come near this), and one character goes on a journey where the passage of time is basically marked by her urinating and emptying her menstrual cup. I started off thinking, "Yay a book where a menstruating person goes on a quest and periods are a goddamn pain in the neck!" because you see that so rarely, but tbh the novelty wore off. again, it's very much about bodies so there's lots of thought behind this.
Overall this feels like a book where the author had an absolute ton of ideas to express, and for me, the experience of reading it as a story suffered accordingly. Icho basically doesn't have much of a character (Jane is a terrific depiction of a truly, utterly awful human being who can only be forced into any sort of empathy for others by extreme suffering) and the plot comes in fits and starts, with the ending bewilderingly rushed. But, I'm a heavily plot- and character-driven reader. Those who like their specfic full of ideas will probably adore this.
The actual story isn't really about typefaces, sadly. HellSans the font is very much a metaphor for how only one kind of discourse is acceptable in society and how people who don't conform to that are harmed by it, and treated as deviants by others. This is a book of ideas--about who bodies belong to, and what constitutes the self (memory, physicality, connection, status?), and also very explicitly about narrative, who's telling the story, who's the viewpoint, who's the main character.
It's also very very much about bodies in terms of how gross they are and how many expellable fluids they contain. Lots of body horror, torture etc but also, I've never seen so much vomit in a book (seriously if you have vomit issues don't come near this), and one character goes on a journey where the passage of time is basically marked by her urinating and emptying her menstrual cup. I started off thinking, "Yay a book where a menstruating person goes on a quest and periods are a goddamn pain in the neck!" because you see that so rarely, but tbh the novelty wore off. again, it's very much about bodies so there's lots of thought behind this.
Overall this feels like a book where the author had an absolute ton of ideas to express, and for me, the experience of reading it as a story suffered accordingly. Icho basically doesn't have much of a character (Jane is a terrific depiction of a truly, utterly awful human being who can only be forced into any sort of empathy for others by extreme suffering) and the plot comes in fits and starts, with the ending bewilderingly rushed. But, I'm a heavily plot- and character-driven reader. Those who like their specfic full of ideas will probably adore this.
October 8, 2022
HELLSANS by Ever Dundas
Publisher: Angry Robot
Release: October 11, 2022
Categories: Dystopia, Suspense, Science-Fiction, Social Commentary, Political Overtones
The Premise: The government has designed a typeface that appears everywhere and fills the People with euphoric bliss. It’s called HellSans and it keeps people under a kind of control. Those that are allergic to it fall apart in horrific ways if untreated and secured from the typeface. They are also considered scum and kept separate from “normal” society. These slums are terrible in their own rights but are made worse by regular raids. There’s also the Company, which manufactures a variety of helpful machines that connect with their owners and direct them to the best lifestyle. As you may have guessed, these conveniences are also a form of control governed by others playing the People like puppets. HellSans tells the story of two women in different roles of power in this presented dystopia. One is the CEO of the Company, Jane Ward. The other is an incredible scientist looking to develop a cure for the allergy, Dr. Icho Smith. The story is divided into three parts, the first two being interchangeable; you can either read Jane’s side first or Icho’s. Either way, they will meet for Part Three and its terrifying finale.
The Review: HellSans is unlike anything I’ve ever read. That alone warrants its recommendation, especially if you’re new to dystopian fiction—this would be a great starting point. Throughout, HellSans will anger and horrify you with the way it treats deviants and society at large. The control and surveillance of the Government over its people is sickening and all too plausible. Right from the start, you’re thrust into this world with little explanation, which is appropriate in some sense—both Icho and Jane are quickly thrown into chaos at the start of their stories, placing the reader in a similar disposition of trying to “catch up” and figure out their next move. This also means the suspense is present from an early point; it only increases as the story moves along. By the final fifty or so pages, I was glued to the book. The finale moved at a breakneck speed, leaving me breathless and hyper-focused. This story is clever, grotesque, terrifying, unique, and fearless. Even with its drawbacks, I couldn’t help but walk away from it thinking goddamn.
Drawbacks: The “Prologues” at the start of Part 1 and Part 2 are actually previews of pages that follow and are therefor pointless. // Jane Ward’s character is especially difficult to like. She is often a vile human being without compassion for others. She’s mean and stubborn and, more often that not, a bitch. Seeing as she is a lead character in this story, it can be a struggle following her story at times without growing increasingly angry. // The love story between Jane and Icho feels like a forced design. The attraction between both women does not seem natural. Jane is not nice to Icho, so why does Icho like her? And why does Jane like Icho but treat her so poorly? It isn’t until the finale that Jane’s character softens, and you can sense her love for Icho more clearly. // The designs of the Inex and other bots was confusing for quite some time before we were shed more light on how they looked and operated. I read Icho’s section first, and I don’t remember ever getting a clear representation of what the bot looked like, and therefor I could not picture it for the life of me. This was frustrating. It wasn’t until Jane’s section that we had some descriptions provided; but even then, I still struggled to picture the things for the entire duration of the novel.
Highlights: The suspense becomes palpable in the third section of this novel. The final fifty pages are especially exciting. // HellSans is deeply engaging and thought-provoking. // The world Dundas has crafted is often uncomfortably plausible and scary. // Though this is dystopian science-fiction at heart, it could easily be classified as a brand of horror, as well. // The writing draws you into the room with its characters and makes you an on-set spectator. // HellSans is the kind of novel to make you think and keep you thinking long after the ride is complete.
Verdict: 4/5
Publisher: Angry Robot
Release: October 11, 2022
Categories: Dystopia, Suspense, Science-Fiction, Social Commentary, Political Overtones
The Premise: The government has designed a typeface that appears everywhere and fills the People with euphoric bliss. It’s called HellSans and it keeps people under a kind of control. Those that are allergic to it fall apart in horrific ways if untreated and secured from the typeface. They are also considered scum and kept separate from “normal” society. These slums are terrible in their own rights but are made worse by regular raids. There’s also the Company, which manufactures a variety of helpful machines that connect with their owners and direct them to the best lifestyle. As you may have guessed, these conveniences are also a form of control governed by others playing the People like puppets. HellSans tells the story of two women in different roles of power in this presented dystopia. One is the CEO of the Company, Jane Ward. The other is an incredible scientist looking to develop a cure for the allergy, Dr. Icho Smith. The story is divided into three parts, the first two being interchangeable; you can either read Jane’s side first or Icho’s. Either way, they will meet for Part Three and its terrifying finale.
The Review: HellSans is unlike anything I’ve ever read. That alone warrants its recommendation, especially if you’re new to dystopian fiction—this would be a great starting point. Throughout, HellSans will anger and horrify you with the way it treats deviants and society at large. The control and surveillance of the Government over its people is sickening and all too plausible. Right from the start, you’re thrust into this world with little explanation, which is appropriate in some sense—both Icho and Jane are quickly thrown into chaos at the start of their stories, placing the reader in a similar disposition of trying to “catch up” and figure out their next move. This also means the suspense is present from an early point; it only increases as the story moves along. By the final fifty or so pages, I was glued to the book. The finale moved at a breakneck speed, leaving me breathless and hyper-focused. This story is clever, grotesque, terrifying, unique, and fearless. Even with its drawbacks, I couldn’t help but walk away from it thinking goddamn.
Drawbacks: The “Prologues” at the start of Part 1 and Part 2 are actually previews of pages that follow and are therefor pointless. // Jane Ward’s character is especially difficult to like. She is often a vile human being without compassion for others. She’s mean and stubborn and, more often that not, a bitch. Seeing as she is a lead character in this story, it can be a struggle following her story at times without growing increasingly angry. // The love story between Jane and Icho feels like a forced design. The attraction between both women does not seem natural. Jane is not nice to Icho, so why does Icho like her? And why does Jane like Icho but treat her so poorly? It isn’t until the finale that Jane’s character softens, and you can sense her love for Icho more clearly. // The designs of the Inex and other bots was confusing for quite some time before we were shed more light on how they looked and operated. I read Icho’s section first, and I don’t remember ever getting a clear representation of what the bot looked like, and therefor I could not picture it for the life of me. This was frustrating. It wasn’t until Jane’s section that we had some descriptions provided; but even then, I still struggled to picture the things for the entire duration of the novel.
Highlights: The suspense becomes palpable in the third section of this novel. The final fifty pages are especially exciting. // HellSans is deeply engaging and thought-provoking. // The world Dundas has crafted is often uncomfortably plausible and scary. // Though this is dystopian science-fiction at heart, it could easily be classified as a brand of horror, as well. // The writing draws you into the room with its characters and makes you an on-set spectator. // HellSans is the kind of novel to make you think and keep you thinking long after the ride is complete.
Verdict: 4/5
September 4, 2022
HellSans is a dystopian novel about a country controlled by a typeface, HellSans, which gives most people bliss, but those who are allergic to it are persecuted, and where people have personal cyborgs called Inexes. Dr Icho Smith is a scientist working on a cure for the allergy, hidden away in a top secret lab. Jane Ward is CEO of the company who makes the Inexes and is close to the Prime Minister of the country. When Icho and Jane both end up on the run from their respective lives, their paths intersect, but with warring factions in the country, the situation is volatile.
I was drawn to the book by the title, and the typeface concept is certainly unusual. The structure is notable as you are told from the start that you can read the first two parts in any order, before a final third part. I read the book just in the order it came, and it would be interesting to see if it does give a different viewpoint to read part two before part one, as I understand why you could read it in either order, but also I'm not sure if it does have an impact. As with a lot of dystopian sci fi, there's a lot to start off with that you don't understand in terms of terminology and how society functions, but you gradually pick up on a fair amount of it (though it doesn't really go into the history of how society got there, maybe to leave the reader guessing how likely it could be).
The plot is fairly straightforward, with government corruption, the demonisation of people with a chronic illness, and questions around cyborgs, sentience, and privacy. The ending has some interesting philosophical points and a fairly dramatic climax, though the later chapters of the book are a lot faster than earlier ones so it does feel quite quick. The layers of betrayal and hiding the truth are crucial to the book and, without wanting to give anything away, built into the narrative, which brings an additional element to it.
HellSans is a book with a lot to say, with plenty of clever elements (adjusting a sans serif font by adding serifs as activism is a nice touch), and even as someone who doesn't read much sci fi I found the world-building worked for me, not being too heavy or tedious but giving a decent sense of what was going on. There's a lot around treatment and cures to think about within it, but within the slightly ridiculous framework of a font that can cause bliss or pain.
I was drawn to the book by the title, and the typeface concept is certainly unusual. The structure is notable as you are told from the start that you can read the first two parts in any order, before a final third part. I read the book just in the order it came, and it would be interesting to see if it does give a different viewpoint to read part two before part one, as I understand why you could read it in either order, but also I'm not sure if it does have an impact. As with a lot of dystopian sci fi, there's a lot to start off with that you don't understand in terms of terminology and how society functions, but you gradually pick up on a fair amount of it (though it doesn't really go into the history of how society got there, maybe to leave the reader guessing how likely it could be).
The plot is fairly straightforward, with government corruption, the demonisation of people with a chronic illness, and questions around cyborgs, sentience, and privacy. The ending has some interesting philosophical points and a fairly dramatic climax, though the later chapters of the book are a lot faster than earlier ones so it does feel quite quick. The layers of betrayal and hiding the truth are crucial to the book and, without wanting to give anything away, built into the narrative, which brings an additional element to it.
HellSans is a book with a lot to say, with plenty of clever elements (adjusting a sans serif font by adding serifs as activism is a nice touch), and even as someone who doesn't read much sci fi I found the world-building worked for me, not being too heavy or tedious but giving a decent sense of what was going on. There's a lot around treatment and cures to think about within it, but within the slightly ridiculous framework of a font that can cause bliss or pain.
September 4, 2022
Sometimes you pi8ck up a book that is just different. And it takes you a moment or two to get your head around things, but once you do, you are glad you stuck with the book to start with as the story sweeps you up and pulls you along in strange and wonderful ways. And this is one of those books, without a doubt.
Set in a future time where people are given "bliss" (an euphoric feeling that leaves them pretty much stoned and compliant) by simply looking at a special type of font, there are of course those who have violent reactions to the font. And in the ways of the mass mob, those who have a reactions are called deviants and despised. The story, told from two perspectives, is from a Doctor trying to "cure" the deviants, and a millionaire who owns a tech company.
I had no idea what to expect from the story, but it swept me along with brilliant pacing and the building up on anticipation. I think this book has something for everyone, be them scifi, fantasy or just general fiction fans. It covers a broad spectrum of ideas, and the story was brilliantly woven to include it all.
Set in a future time where people are given "bliss" (an euphoric feeling that leaves them pretty much stoned and compliant) by simply looking at a special type of font, there are of course those who have violent reactions to the font. And in the ways of the mass mob, those who have a reactions are called deviants and despised. The story, told from two perspectives, is from a Doctor trying to "cure" the deviants, and a millionaire who owns a tech company.
I had no idea what to expect from the story, but it swept me along with brilliant pacing and the building up on anticipation. I think this book has something for everyone, be them scifi, fantasy or just general fiction fans. It covers a broad spectrum of ideas, and the story was brilliantly woven to include it all.
October 10, 2022
3.5
'HellSans', written by Ever Dundas, is a unique dystopian novel, set in a fictional version of the UK.
In this version of the UK, the government imposes a typeface called HellSans as the ultimate form of control. Everything is written in HellSans. HellSans has the ability to create a state of bliss and ecstasy in most people who read it, but others develop a severe allergy to the font. People with the HellSans allergy (HSAs) are cast aside, stripped of their rights, and segregated from the rest of the society.
At the centre of the story, we have two women; Icho and Jane.
Dr. Icho Smith is a scientist, secretly working on developing a permanent cure for the HellSans allergy. She is on the run from the government and a 'terrorist' group, who have their own plans for the cure.
Jane Ward is a successful and well-known CEO of a tech company that makes Inexes, people's personal cyborgs.
Jane has a lot of contempt for HSAs, until she develops an allergy to the font, loses everything in her life, and is sent to live in the ghetto with the rest of HSAs.
Jane and Icho's paths cross when they're both on the run from their respective lives. They decide to team up, try to expose the government’s corruption, and deliver the cure for the HellSans allergy.
The book is written in three parts. Parts one and two run parallel to one another, and the reader gets to decide which part they want to read first. In the third, and final part, the two story lines are neatly pulled together.
HellSans has an intriguing premise, interesting characters, it covers a lot of philosophical questions, and there's also a queer aspect to the plot. It's suspenseful, thought provoking and gory.
It took me a while to get into HellSans at the start, but once I wrapped my head around who the characters were, what their motives were and what kind of world they lived in, I was fully immersed.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Angry Robot, for the digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
'HellSans', written by Ever Dundas, is a unique dystopian novel, set in a fictional version of the UK.
In this version of the UK, the government imposes a typeface called HellSans as the ultimate form of control. Everything is written in HellSans. HellSans has the ability to create a state of bliss and ecstasy in most people who read it, but others develop a severe allergy to the font. People with the HellSans allergy (HSAs) are cast aside, stripped of their rights, and segregated from the rest of the society.
At the centre of the story, we have two women; Icho and Jane.
Dr. Icho Smith is a scientist, secretly working on developing a permanent cure for the HellSans allergy. She is on the run from the government and a 'terrorist' group, who have their own plans for the cure.
Jane Ward is a successful and well-known CEO of a tech company that makes Inexes, people's personal cyborgs.
Jane has a lot of contempt for HSAs, until she develops an allergy to the font, loses everything in her life, and is sent to live in the ghetto with the rest of HSAs.
Jane and Icho's paths cross when they're both on the run from their respective lives. They decide to team up, try to expose the government’s corruption, and deliver the cure for the HellSans allergy.
The book is written in three parts. Parts one and two run parallel to one another, and the reader gets to decide which part they want to read first. In the third, and final part, the two story lines are neatly pulled together.
HellSans has an intriguing premise, interesting characters, it covers a lot of philosophical questions, and there's also a queer aspect to the plot. It's suspenseful, thought provoking and gory.
It took me a while to get into HellSans at the start, but once I wrapped my head around who the characters were, what their motives were and what kind of world they lived in, I was fully immersed.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Angry Robot, for the digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
October 11, 2022
I saw the synopsis for
HELLSANS
and was intrigued by the premise of a dystopian Sci Fi thriller set in what seemed to be only a few decades ahead in our future, so I requested the ARC to satiate my curiosity.
HELLSANS is the story of Dr. Ichorel Smith (Icho) and Jane Ward, CEO of The Company. That's the most simplistic way of putting it, to delve further, it's a look at a society made dependent on the government by use of a typeface known as HellSans. When you read or think in this typeface, you feel bliss, euphoria. (I must say here, I will probably never be able to read the word "bliss" without shuddering!) There are a small portion of the population who are allergic to this typeface and are thrown out of the city into the ghetto where they're treated as subhuman...which is exactly how the government views them: not human.
Jane is head of The Company, where she oversees many programs, such as the Inex and Ino - the Inex is an 8 inch cyborg that everyone has that keeps them on schedule, monitors health, is used to identify an individual and records their lives. The Ino is a fade-into-the background sort of robot that is a glorified housekeeper. I was very creeped out by Inexes at first - then grew to love them and even want my own, though I never fully trusted them. I did chuckle to myself, saying this would never happen - people would never adjust to having these creepy little insect-eating creatures around!
Then I really thought about it. I would have never thought we'd carry about mobile phones that are tiny computers either - devices that I myself honestly think are used to monitor us. (How else does it know to show me an ad for an upcoming release? BECAUSE IT HEARD ME! lol)
Jane suffers a trauma, becomes allergic to the HellSans typeface so that each word written or thought of in that typeface is torture and her life disintegrates. Her only hope, her mantra even, is to escape the ghetto and get to Icho, who was known to be hard at work developing a cure for those allergic to HellSans.
Full honesty - I read the first chapter and thought, I'm not going to like this. I decided to give Chapter 2 a shot and wouldn't you know, suddenly I was playing the whole "One More Chapter" game before bed. It is a satire. Full of it. Just know that going in - I was a little bit miffed at a couple things in the beginning, but I realized that EVERYTHING fell victim - the author wasn't singling any person, group, entity out - they all got their share of mockery and scorn....and humor. I had so many moments where I chuckled, even cheered at the responses and interactions between characters, sometimes even the inner monologue of a character.
This book is written in 3 parts, where you can choose to read either part 1 OR part 2 first. I read in the order of part 2, 1, 3. I think this was the best format as part 2 left a lot of mystery to what's really going on that gets explained in part 1 - I loved the intrigue and action...mostly the terror. (You know my horror-loving little heart ate those moments UP) I need to find some readers who read in order 1, 2, 3 and compare notes. Part 3 is so clever in how it sort of broke the 4th wall talking about the first 2 parts and you learn why it's written that way - which really gives this book an interactive feel to it and added to the charm of the reading experience.
I really wanted to like Jane Ward, but that woman is just a real piece of work. I wanted to like her because I did love Icho and Icho liked Jane. A lot of us know how it goes though, people rarely change. Even though the Inexes creeped me out - I loved them and what they brought to the story. Most especially Brian. Those who don't like heavy tech talk in sci fi novels have nothing to fear here, everything discussed in this one was done so in layman's terms that is easy to follow and understand.
It may be a fictional, futuristic world, yet Ever Dundas described society, government and its treatment of people in a very realistic style, which is what added an emotional level to the narrative - it hits home. This serves to connect the reader and get them invested further in the outcome of what our main characters are up to, as well as a few other groups we meet along the way.
It was a fantastic read that will consume you as you read its pages and then continue to monopolize your thoughts afterwards, just mulling over the actions of the characters, their driving force and how they adapted or overcame.
It's brilliant.
HELLSANS is the story of Dr. Ichorel Smith (Icho) and Jane Ward, CEO of The Company. That's the most simplistic way of putting it, to delve further, it's a look at a society made dependent on the government by use of a typeface known as HellSans. When you read or think in this typeface, you feel bliss, euphoria. (I must say here, I will probably never be able to read the word "bliss" without shuddering!) There are a small portion of the population who are allergic to this typeface and are thrown out of the city into the ghetto where they're treated as subhuman...which is exactly how the government views them: not human.
Jane is head of The Company, where she oversees many programs, such as the Inex and Ino - the Inex is an 8 inch cyborg that everyone has that keeps them on schedule, monitors health, is used to identify an individual and records their lives. The Ino is a fade-into-the background sort of robot that is a glorified housekeeper. I was very creeped out by Inexes at first - then grew to love them and even want my own, though I never fully trusted them. I did chuckle to myself, saying this would never happen - people would never adjust to having these creepy little insect-eating creatures around!
Then I really thought about it. I would have never thought we'd carry about mobile phones that are tiny computers either - devices that I myself honestly think are used to monitor us. (How else does it know to show me an ad for an upcoming release? BECAUSE IT HEARD ME! lol)
Jane suffers a trauma, becomes allergic to the HellSans typeface so that each word written or thought of in that typeface is torture and her life disintegrates. Her only hope, her mantra even, is to escape the ghetto and get to Icho, who was known to be hard at work developing a cure for those allergic to HellSans.
Full honesty - I read the first chapter and thought, I'm not going to like this. I decided to give Chapter 2 a shot and wouldn't you know, suddenly I was playing the whole "One More Chapter" game before bed. It is a satire. Full of it. Just know that going in - I was a little bit miffed at a couple things in the beginning, but I realized that EVERYTHING fell victim - the author wasn't singling any person, group, entity out - they all got their share of mockery and scorn....and humor. I had so many moments where I chuckled, even cheered at the responses and interactions between characters, sometimes even the inner monologue of a character.
This book is written in 3 parts, where you can choose to read either part 1 OR part 2 first. I read in the order of part 2, 1, 3. I think this was the best format as part 2 left a lot of mystery to what's really going on that gets explained in part 1 - I loved the intrigue and action...mostly the terror. (You know my horror-loving little heart ate those moments UP) I need to find some readers who read in order 1, 2, 3 and compare notes. Part 3 is so clever in how it sort of broke the 4th wall talking about the first 2 parts and you learn why it's written that way - which really gives this book an interactive feel to it and added to the charm of the reading experience.
I really wanted to like Jane Ward, but that woman is just a real piece of work. I wanted to like her because I did love Icho and Icho liked Jane. A lot of us know how it goes though, people rarely change. Even though the Inexes creeped me out - I loved them and what they brought to the story. Most especially Brian. Those who don't like heavy tech talk in sci fi novels have nothing to fear here, everything discussed in this one was done so in layman's terms that is easy to follow and understand.
It may be a fictional, futuristic world, yet Ever Dundas described society, government and its treatment of people in a very realistic style, which is what added an emotional level to the narrative - it hits home. This serves to connect the reader and get them invested further in the outcome of what our main characters are up to, as well as a few other groups we meet along the way.
It was a fantastic read that will consume you as you read its pages and then continue to monopolize your thoughts afterwards, just mulling over the actions of the characters, their driving force and how they adapted or overcame.
It's brilliant.
January 2, 2023
As a graphic designer who specializes in typography, I’ve never bought a book so quickly as when a friend of mine on Booktok described premise of HellSans.
I really wanted to love this book but the incredibly abrupt ending after hundreds of pages of build up was super disappointing. Up until the very end of the book it was a solid four stars but the ending definitely knocked my rating down because it soured things so much for me. I have more to say but my brain is soup so it’s just going to be scattered thoughts.
On the characters & “romance”:
• Jane was the fucking worst and Icho wasn’t much better. They were super toxic and terrible for each other, a trainwreck I couldn’t look away from. This all felt intentional though, so hats off to the author there.
• Caddick was somehow even worse than Jane but not by much. Like the main character and main antagonist were almost equally terrible people, which is wild.
On the worldbuilding:
• I actually enjoyed the worldbuilding/premise a lot, but I wish the author had called the typeface anything other than HellSans, because it felt odd to have the word Hell in something lauded as positive? I think it’s a reference to Helvetica, a ubiquitous sans serif font, but to me it would have been much more effective to use HelSans (one L) as the real name and then have HellSans (two Ls) be used pejoratively. But that’s just me being nitpicky.
I’ve noticed Angry Robot’s books almost always sit right around 400 pages, almost like it’s a quota or something, and if so I wish they’d move away from that as it often fucks with the pacing. It definitely did here.
Love sapphic books, too? Let's be friends! Booktok | Bookstagram | Twitter
I really wanted to love this book but the incredibly abrupt ending after hundreds of pages of build up was super disappointing. Up until the very end of the book it was a solid four stars but the ending definitely knocked my rating down because it soured things so much for me. I have more to say but my brain is soup so it’s just going to be scattered thoughts.
On the characters & “romance”:
• Jane was the fucking worst and Icho wasn’t much better. They were super toxic and terrible for each other, a trainwreck I couldn’t look away from. This all felt intentional though, so hats off to the author there.
• Caddick was somehow even worse than Jane but not by much. Like the main character and main antagonist were almost equally terrible people, which is wild.
On the worldbuilding:
• I actually enjoyed the worldbuilding/premise a lot, but I wish the author had called the typeface anything other than HellSans, because it felt odd to have the word Hell in something lauded as positive? I think it’s a reference to Helvetica, a ubiquitous sans serif font, but to me it would have been much more effective to use HelSans (one L) as the real name and then have HellSans (two Ls) be used pejoratively. But that’s just me being nitpicky.
I’ve noticed Angry Robot’s books almost always sit right around 400 pages, almost like it’s a quota or something, and if so I wish they’d move away from that as it often fucks with the pacing. It definitely did here.
Love sapphic books, too? Let's be friends! Booktok | Bookstagram | Twitter
October 8, 2022
I absolutely loved the concept but felt that the split narrative and the twists just made for confusion. I really struggled with it, which was frustrating as it sounded so good.
I was hoping for a great speculative read, the idea of a font being used to control people is really interesting. It also sounds almost feasible, and therefore, terrifying.
I was hoping for a great speculative read, the idea of a font being used to control people is really interesting. It also sounds almost feasible, and therefore, terrifying.
October 13, 2022
HellSans is certainly unique, that is for sure! I mean, a font that can create bliss, but also pain for those allergic? That is a new one for me! And while I did have a wee bit of trouble with comprehending the font bit, I did love the rest! So let's break it down!
What I Liked:
►The characters and their relationships were wonderfully developed. I really enjoyed Icho and Jane, and their personal journeys with HellSans. They were each invested but for very different reasons. I also loved their relationship that grew as they were dealing with the ramifications of HellSans on their lives. Oh, and for fun, their stories are told separately at first- and you can read them in any old order, that is clever! (And don't worry- the stories are not repetitive, which was my concern heading in!)
►There is a lot of great social commentary. There are a lot of people who are treated poorly in this society. And not just because of allergies to HellSans, though that is a big one. So not only does it tackle abelism, but a whole host of other societal issues that we face. I won't go into too much detail, because I feel like I'd have to get into spoiler territory, but I enjoyed it.
►There is a good amount of excitement and high stakes in the plot. There are a ton of great twists and turns, and plenty of adventure to keep the reader guessing.
►Cyborgs. Everyone who's anyone has a cyborg. Need I say more?
What I Had Trouble With:
►I just don't understand how a font has any of these properties? I mean, there are plenty of fonts that are not easy on the eyes, I get it. But... just how? I wish this had been explained a bit more, because it was hard for me to suspend my disbelief that a font can have that much power over folks. Just... how can one be allergic to a font even?
Bottom Line: The story and the characters were awesome enough to overcome any issues I had with Fonts With Powers™.
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
What I Liked:
►The characters and their relationships were wonderfully developed. I really enjoyed Icho and Jane, and their personal journeys with HellSans. They were each invested but for very different reasons. I also loved their relationship that grew as they were dealing with the ramifications of HellSans on their lives. Oh, and for fun, their stories are told separately at first- and you can read them in any old order, that is clever! (And don't worry- the stories are not repetitive, which was my concern heading in!)
►There is a lot of great social commentary. There are a lot of people who are treated poorly in this society. And not just because of allergies to HellSans, though that is a big one. So not only does it tackle abelism, but a whole host of other societal issues that we face. I won't go into too much detail, because I feel like I'd have to get into spoiler territory, but I enjoyed it.
►There is a good amount of excitement and high stakes in the plot. There are a ton of great twists and turns, and plenty of adventure to keep the reader guessing.
►Cyborgs. Everyone who's anyone has a cyborg. Need I say more?
What I Had Trouble With:
►I just don't understand how a font has any of these properties? I mean, there are plenty of fonts that are not easy on the eyes, I get it. But... just how? I wish this had been explained a bit more, because it was hard for me to suspend my disbelief that a font can have that much power over folks. Just... how can one be allergic to a font even?
Bottom Line: The story and the characters were awesome enough to overcome any issues I had with Fonts With Powers™.
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
January 29, 2023
The premise was good, the first two parts which focused on one of the two main characters was really good, but once their timelines converged, it lost its way. It seemed as though each character changed and morphed into something else, there wasn’t any backstory to support either character and their reactions/triggers seemed forced and out of left field due to this. The plot became confused and the ending was rushed and completely unsatisfying. What could have been great ended up being just okay however I am curious to see what this author does next.
October 4, 2022
I loved the premise of this book, the name of the author and the dystopia world yhey create. However, I tried starting the story from both Icho and Jane's point of view and have to submit I struggled. I think it was as much with the dialogue as the plot. A shame, but I hope for further books by the author
thank you to netgalley and angry robot for an advance copy of this book.
thank you to netgalley and angry robot for an advance copy of this book.
April 12, 2023
Really wanted to like this. Found the characters unpleasant, the plot fragmented and hard to follow, and the story just generally dissatisfying. The concept was great but the execution didn’t do it at all for me.
November 2, 2022
I loved the idea of this story, the blurb sounded very intriguing. I read the three parts in order - Icho's story was action-packed, fast-moving, and set up the scene for this new world with a divided society. The part from Jane's POV had less impact - I didn't like Jane as a character, and there was a lot more blood, gore, and vomiting. (There is a LOT of vomiting, sloughing of skin, and blood oozing everywhere in this book, which became off-putting after a while.
Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy the story as much as I hoped. Thank you to the publisher and the author for the chance to read it.
Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy the story as much as I hoped. Thank you to the publisher and the author for the chance to read it.
October 16, 2022
HELLSANS is as brutal as it is clever. I am in awe of the premise and worldbuilding in this dystopian future (a typeface that causes bliss in the reader and severe physical reactions in the small percentage who are allergic to it, I mean c'mon, that is an incredible concept. And then you have the Just ridiculously clever.) And also the daring and effortless POV switches and the way the book is partitioned into separate parts that can be read in an order of the reader's choosing.
This is a highly imaginative ride through a grim future chock full of body horror with characters who don't care if you like them. If you're into twists, morally-gray queer women, and angry about the state of healthcare, this book is probably for you.
This is a highly imaginative ride through a grim future chock full of body horror with characters who don't care if you like them. If you're into twists, morally-gray queer women, and angry about the state of healthcare, this book is probably for you.
January 14, 2025
Jesus Christ
January 6, 2023
If Ever Dundas had only written Goblin and nothing else, she would still rate as one of the great 21st century Scottish novelists given that novel is a masterpiece with one of the most unique and memorable central characters in contemporary fiction. The fact that she has written a second novel as breathtaking as this one, and it is so radically different, is something to celebrate. The novel fizzes with originality and quirkiness that drives it along at a fast pace. The central characters do not have the charm of Goblin and that is why the book is not so easy to love: Jane Ward may be a more savvy and clever version of some of the current batch of tech Gods-incarnate shaping everyone's lives whether we like it or not, and Daniel Caddick could equally be a sharper version of the divide-and-rule populists that plague our contemporary societies with their repugnant tropes. But, that is not really an issue since it is a novel of ideas and imagination and these characters carry them along rather well. The sci-fi genre might put some folk off but the world created here is an interesting extension of where we are now once you get used to the new technological devices and societal terms, and is very believable. It does not take long to get immersed in, and adapted to, this visceral (and it is most certainly visceral) future world. It is such an ambitious work that touches on the rivalry (and wary complicity) between political and tech megalomaniacs for real power, orgastic propaganda/news which is so blissful as to defy a desire for critical analysis, personality transplanting in order to live longer and coming to terms with the effect on the soul, a society built on health supremacy where the sick (as a result of Hellsans allergies, a possible metaphor for "failure" under capitalism) are pariahs in mainstream society, and so much more.
March 10, 2023
5/10, closer to a 4 than a 6
Honestly these bitches are unbearable. If you have a cool scifi plot, please for the love of god have a good narrator. BOTH protagonists are so insufferable and you're stuck with them. Icho is at least morally acceptable but she's so stubborn and stupid and ALWAYS wrong. Not much to root for. Jane is literally the source of all evil and has the most abhorrent personality I've EVER seen in a protagonist. There is no satisfying redemption.
There is no chemistry in the love story. It's unsexy and uninteresting. There is NO reason for normal ass Icho to be interested in obvious sociopath Jane. She may be hot from afar but once she meets her it's clear she's repulsive but Icho never really is significantly bothered by it.
The ending at least answered the question I was asking the WHOLE time: "does the author think these characters are cool and good????" and thankfully the answer is mostly no but you literally have to get to the very very last page to get any solid indication of that and it's so poorly executed and explained, feels very rushed, and is not really satisfying except as an answer to the above.
Good premise, cool concepts, WORST characters.
Side note:
In your scifi story with lots of made up words, do NOT name one of your MAIN CHARACTERS an uncommon name that sounds similar. Ino, Inex -- these are made up robots. Icho -- no no, that's one of the main characters why are you confused?
This is not a metaphor or suggesting she is at all analogous to these bots. In fact, she ignores them giving her in-text vindicated good advice for the WHOLE book to the very end.
Exhausting.
Anyway, to justify how high this rating now seems, I enjoyed hating these bitches. The book was entertaining. I'm just fired up about how annoying they were but it didn't waste my time. Ending could have used some work.
Honestly these bitches are unbearable. If you have a cool scifi plot, please for the love of god have a good narrator. BOTH protagonists are so insufferable and you're stuck with them. Icho is at least morally acceptable but she's so stubborn and stupid and ALWAYS wrong. Not much to root for. Jane is literally the source of all evil and has the most abhorrent personality I've EVER seen in a protagonist. There is no satisfying redemption.
There is no chemistry in the love story. It's unsexy and uninteresting. There is NO reason for normal ass Icho to be interested in obvious sociopath Jane. She may be hot from afar but once she meets her it's clear she's repulsive but Icho never really is significantly bothered by it.
The ending at least answered the question I was asking the WHOLE time: "does the author think these characters are cool and good????" and thankfully the answer is mostly no but you literally have to get to the very very last page to get any solid indication of that and it's so poorly executed and explained, feels very rushed, and is not really satisfying except as an answer to the above.
Good premise, cool concepts, WORST characters.
Side note:
In your scifi story with lots of made up words, do NOT name one of your MAIN CHARACTERS an uncommon name that sounds similar. Ino, Inex -- these are made up robots. Icho -- no no, that's one of the main characters why are you confused?
This is not a metaphor or suggesting she is at all analogous to these bots. In fact, she ignores them giving her in-text vindicated good advice for the WHOLE book to the very end.
Exhausting.
Anyway, to justify how high this rating now seems, I enjoyed hating these bitches. The book was entertaining. I'm just fired up about how annoying they were but it didn't waste my time. Ending could have used some work.
January 20, 2023
It’s not often that you read a novel in which a main antagonist is a typeface. The idea for this dystopian novel’s coercive, bliss inducing font seems to have been developed from Huxley’s Brave New World and Carpenter’s They Live; both works are referenced in the text.
Can’t imagine where the author got the idea for a ruthlessly self-serving womanising British Prime Minister from.
Elsewhere there is post modern fun to be had from the fact that the first two chapter are meant to have been written by AIs and are available for the characters within the story to comment on.
There is plenty of vey visceral action and complex interaction between the two protagonists.
Can’t imagine where the author got the idea for a ruthlessly self-serving womanising British Prime Minister from.
Elsewhere there is post modern fun to be had from the fact that the first two chapter are meant to have been written by AIs and are available for the characters within the story to comment on.
There is plenty of vey visceral action and complex interaction between the two protagonists.
August 31, 2023
This book was f'ing awesome. I loved the setup and the weird premise. The characters were well written, the plot was bonkers, and there was a lot to think about. The premise of HellSans and how it controls the population reminds me a little of the plot of Inhabited Island by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, but while that book felt more allegorical (though still pretty fun), this one felt more like weird literature. I'll definitely be recommending this to friends.
September 29, 2024
Sci-fi isn't my "go-to" genre but this felt very accessible and a great dystopian story.
SYNOPSIS:
“HellSans” is about a government-controlled typeface that induces bliss in most people but causes agony and death in those allergic to it. The story follows CEO Jane Ward, who becomes allergic and falls from grace, and Dr. Icho Smith, who has a cure but is pursued by both the government and a terrorist group.
MY THOUGHTS:
- This is my first book by this author and I am now really up for reading more by them.
- The concept of this story pulled me in straight away, I love a dystopian story, especially one where the govt. is attempting to control their population.
- This premise feels so realistic that it makes the whole story terrifying and raises a lot of ethical questions about our world right now.
- I loved the fact the story is told in 3 parts and that parts 1 and 2 can be read in any order before you start to read part 3 - so unique!
- The main characters Jane and Icho in this story are so well developed, complex and fascinating to read.
- Overall this is such a unique, dystopian story that will leave you feeling chilled.
SYNOPSIS:
“HellSans” is about a government-controlled typeface that induces bliss in most people but causes agony and death in those allergic to it. The story follows CEO Jane Ward, who becomes allergic and falls from grace, and Dr. Icho Smith, who has a cure but is pursued by both the government and a terrorist group.
MY THOUGHTS:
- This is my first book by this author and I am now really up for reading more by them.
- The concept of this story pulled me in straight away, I love a dystopian story, especially one where the govt. is attempting to control their population.
- This premise feels so realistic that it makes the whole story terrifying and raises a lot of ethical questions about our world right now.
- I loved the fact the story is told in 3 parts and that parts 1 and 2 can be read in any order before you start to read part 3 - so unique!
- The main characters Jane and Icho in this story are so well developed, complex and fascinating to read.
- Overall this is such a unique, dystopian story that will leave you feeling chilled.
March 16, 2023
This has great ideas and some truly awful characters.
August 21, 2023
This novel came very highly recommended by several people whose opinions I respect, but it never quite gelled with me. I admire the courage and imagination that went into this book, the changes in perspective in both first and third person are bold and central to the concept of the book. The world building is deft and the plot is intrinsically exciting, but sadly I just could not get into it. I made it to the end, and am glad I did, because this isn't a bad book. I just need to feel some empathy for at least one protagonist in order to care about the story, and I found both of the central characters very hard to get on with. Four stars because it's technically very competent and as a writer myself I found a lot to admire in some of the twists in the writing.
August 29, 2022
I really enjoyed this very clever, imaginative, and atmospheric tale.
HellSans is a typeface imposed by the government as the ultimate form of control. The majority 'bliss' when they see the typeface, but there are those unfortunate people who have HellSans Allergy. The HSAs - as those with the allergy are known - live in the ghetto mostly or on the streets. They have nothing and live a violent and dangerous life.
The story involves two main characters, Dr Icho Smith, A scientist who has developed a cure for the allergy, and Jane Ward, a very intelligent high-flyer and CEO of The Company behind HellSans. Jane has everything she could ask for, respect in her line of work, prestige, and money, but then becomes ill with the allergy and loses it all.
You can choose to read either part one and/or part two before reading part three. This way the reader gets to choose an insight into the 'blissers' and/or the HSAs, and the lives they are - or are not - able to lead.
It's a fabulous concept, a riveting story, brilliant characterisations, and the twists and turns as the secrets unfold are just flawless. To be honest, this blew my mind! The fact that this author has both M.E. and Fibromyalgia and created this work of art is amazing. I have M.E. myself, so I can vividly imagine all the energy, persistence, and pain that went into writing this work. Thank you, I was completely engrossed and look forward to the next book. I feel this would make a fabulous graphic novel.
I chose this ARC from a selection. I voluntarily and honestly read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. My thanks to the publisher, NetGalley, and the author.
HellSans is a typeface imposed by the government as the ultimate form of control. The majority 'bliss' when they see the typeface, but there are those unfortunate people who have HellSans Allergy. The HSAs - as those with the allergy are known - live in the ghetto mostly or on the streets. They have nothing and live a violent and dangerous life.
The story involves two main characters, Dr Icho Smith, A scientist who has developed a cure for the allergy, and Jane Ward, a very intelligent high-flyer and CEO of The Company behind HellSans. Jane has everything she could ask for, respect in her line of work, prestige, and money, but then becomes ill with the allergy and loses it all.
You can choose to read either part one and/or part two before reading part three. This way the reader gets to choose an insight into the 'blissers' and/or the HSAs, and the lives they are - or are not - able to lead.
It's a fabulous concept, a riveting story, brilliant characterisations, and the twists and turns as the secrets unfold are just flawless. To be honest, this blew my mind! The fact that this author has both M.E. and Fibromyalgia and created this work of art is amazing. I have M.E. myself, so I can vividly imagine all the energy, persistence, and pain that went into writing this work. Thank you, I was completely engrossed and look forward to the next book. I feel this would make a fabulous graphic novel.
I chose this ARC from a selection. I voluntarily and honestly read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. My thanks to the publisher, NetGalley, and the author.
September 4, 2022
A great concept a dystopian world where most of the population receives a buzz when they read adverts written in a certain font whilst another proportion develop an allergy to the font and are banished to live on ghettos
It did however take quite some time to explain this and we were nearly half way in before it was explained satisfactorily. I found myself quite frustrated by this and not really following the stories of the two women we are introduced to early on
The book moves more slowly than I wanted and I felt the final events were somehow anticlimactic
I liked the fact that the two main characters were gay women and felt the author was starting to say something meaningful about discrimination against those with long term health problems who were being increasingly seen as second class citizens.
Towards the end of the book we are introduced to the concept of self when one of the characters is bought back to life in a synthetic body .This was interesting but I felt it arrived too late in the story for me and was one too many concept
It was hard to know where the story was set but I suppose it was a dystopian Uk I would have liked more pointers to this in the story as it was there were only a few street names to suggest where in the world we were
I’m a big fan of dystopian fiction ,this book however just missed the mark for me
I read an early copy on NetGalley Uk the book is published in the Uk 11th October 2022
It did however take quite some time to explain this and we were nearly half way in before it was explained satisfactorily. I found myself quite frustrated by this and not really following the stories of the two women we are introduced to early on
The book moves more slowly than I wanted and I felt the final events were somehow anticlimactic
I liked the fact that the two main characters were gay women and felt the author was starting to say something meaningful about discrimination against those with long term health problems who were being increasingly seen as second class citizens.
Towards the end of the book we are introduced to the concept of self when one of the characters is bought back to life in a synthetic body .This was interesting but I felt it arrived too late in the story for me and was one too many concept
It was hard to know where the story was set but I suppose it was a dystopian Uk I would have liked more pointers to this in the story as it was there were only a few street names to suggest where in the world we were
I’m a big fan of dystopian fiction ,this book however just missed the mark for me
I read an early copy on NetGalley Uk the book is published in the Uk 11th October 2022
July 17, 2023
Originally posted on Just Geeking by.
Content warnings:
HellSans by Ever Dundas is unlike any book about disability I’ve ever read, and make no mistake, this is a book about disability. Dundas dedicates HellSans to “all queer crips and people with M.E. who have endured decades of cruelty and neglect with love and rage” which made me feel so seen before I had even started the actual book. HellSans offers the reader the choice of starting either narrative first. One narrative is from the perspective of Dr Ichoriel ‘Icho’ Smith, a doctor working on a cure for the allergy to HellSans and the other is from Jane Ward, the CEO of The Company. Jane is the creator of several cyborg robots that became a staple for society. Everyone now uses an Inex, a cyborg that connects to them and monitors them emotionally and physically, tracking and maintaining every single part of their life. They also use one called an Ino which takes care of all chores, and housekeeping duties including making food. Both can administer some first aid and some basic medical care.
The other way the HellSans universe differs from ours is that a form of typography has been utilised by the Government as a drug. It’s referred to by its narrators as ‘HellSans’, for reasons that become obvious throughout the book. This drug creates a sensation that is known as “bliss” in most of the population – but not all. Some people have a natural resistance to it and are “unblissed”, they get no high from the font. Others have an allergic reaction to it, and they are immediately outcast from society, forced to live in slums outside the city.
At first, it seemed strange to think of a font as being able to give people a high, and then I realised how clever such an idea would be. Fonts are everywhere. I’m using one right now as I write this review, just as you’re reading one. By creating a font that is a drug, a group of people can mass control everyone and that is exactly what has happened in HellSans. The HSAs, the HellSans allergic, are unblissed. They see the world the way it really is, the control and oppression, and that terrifies those in control. They react with the only tool they know; more oppression and create the narrative that HSAs are deviants.
I read the narratives in the order that they are presented because I can’t read things out of order, and find it difficult to switch back and forth. Icho and Jane’s narratives are very different from each other. Icho is trying to help HSAs, although her motives for doing so does not become clear until later in the book. As a result of her work directly with HSAs she is more aware of how they are treated, the abuse that they suffer in the city and in the slums. In comparison, Jane is one of society’s elite who looks down on HSA’s with complete disgust as is expected of her as one of the “blissed”. When a traumatic event triggers HSA in her Jane is in complete denial. Denial that she has HSA and that she, the CEO of the most powerful company, is being stripped of her power and position. She is Jane Ward, this shouldn’t be happening to her!
On the run with a working cure, Icho recognises the symptoms of HSA in Jane and realises that Jane is her best chance of surviving. Jane has the resources and she needs Icho. Each of their narratives tell their stories up to the point where they find each other, and after that it becomes a combined narrative. The way Dundas has experimented with narrative in HellSans is brilliantly innovative and is something to explore all on its own. My focus, however, is on how she has captured the way that society and especially the medical profession has treated people with ME/CFS for decades. People with other chronic health conditions will be able to draw comparisons with this too, I mention ME/CFS especially because of the dedication at the start of the book.
Jane’s denial in particular was familiar, especially in a post-COVID world because there are so many people who were “healthy” that fell in with Long Covid and ME/CFS who previously would have looked down on disabled people for being “unhealthy”. We were ill due to our own actions. It was all because we didn’t look after ourselves, or we were overweight. There are many reasons we’ve all heard. Then COVID came along and didn’t discriminate. Likewise, HSA in HellSans can affect anyone at any time in their life if the circumstances are right. ME/CFS is the same; if the body undergoes enough physical trauma it can trigger ME/CFS. I know because that is exactly what happened to me.
Dundas doesn’t skim on detail when it comes to how messy having a chronic illness is, and looking at reviews I can see how much that went way over non-disabled readers heads. There is a lot of “body horror” in HellSans because guess what? Being disabled, especially being chronically ill, involves a lot of bodily fluids and not the fun ones. There is no difference between showing revulsion for fictional ill characters and real disabled people. You’re still showing revulsion about the same thing happening. Even by referring to symptoms as “body horror” there is a suggestion that what we go through is something from a horror story, that in some way it’s not real or that being disabled is so bad that it is “horrific”. Dundas could have written a neat story where Jane’s symptoms are perfectly timed, and aren’t as severe. But HellSans isn’t that type of story.
I also appreciated that Dundas showed the ugly side of her characters. Being disabled is rough, and Jane and Icho were in a very difficult situation. Suddenly becoming ill doesn’t suddenly make someone a saint. Jane was a nasty person before she developed HSA, and she’s still a bitch afterwards. Likewise, being a medical professional or scientist doesn’t mean you’re a good person. Both characters are very complicated and that is as it should be. If you’re heading into this book expecting to find likeable characters just because it’s about disability then this isn’t the book for you, and you need to check your ableism.
HellSans is a dark book that feels like Dundas was watching over my shoulder while I struggled every step of the way to get a diagnosis for ME/CFS, and has listened to every scream of frustration I’ve ever made as a chronically ill person. HellSans is unlike anything I have ever read. When I say this is a must-read for disabled readers I mean it. I was going to say it is a must-read for everyone, but having seen reviews from non-disabled readers I honestly don’t feel that many are able to understand what HellSans is saying. This is very much a love letter to the disabled community and written in our language for us. If non-disabled readers gain some understanding of our every day fight then that’s great, but if they don’t then that is their loss.
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Content warnings:
HellSans by Ever Dundas is unlike any book about disability I’ve ever read, and make no mistake, this is a book about disability. Dundas dedicates HellSans to “all queer crips and people with M.E. who have endured decades of cruelty and neglect with love and rage” which made me feel so seen before I had even started the actual book. HellSans offers the reader the choice of starting either narrative first. One narrative is from the perspective of Dr Ichoriel ‘Icho’ Smith, a doctor working on a cure for the allergy to HellSans and the other is from Jane Ward, the CEO of The Company. Jane is the creator of several cyborg robots that became a staple for society. Everyone now uses an Inex, a cyborg that connects to them and monitors them emotionally and physically, tracking and maintaining every single part of their life. They also use one called an Ino which takes care of all chores, and housekeeping duties including making food. Both can administer some first aid and some basic medical care.
The other way the HellSans universe differs from ours is that a form of typography has been utilised by the Government as a drug. It’s referred to by its narrators as ‘HellSans’, for reasons that become obvious throughout the book. This drug creates a sensation that is known as “bliss” in most of the population – but not all. Some people have a natural resistance to it and are “unblissed”, they get no high from the font. Others have an allergic reaction to it, and they are immediately outcast from society, forced to live in slums outside the city.
At first, it seemed strange to think of a font as being able to give people a high, and then I realised how clever such an idea would be. Fonts are everywhere. I’m using one right now as I write this review, just as you’re reading one. By creating a font that is a drug, a group of people can mass control everyone and that is exactly what has happened in HellSans. The HSAs, the HellSans allergic, are unblissed. They see the world the way it really is, the control and oppression, and that terrifies those in control. They react with the only tool they know; more oppression and create the narrative that HSAs are deviants.
I read the narratives in the order that they are presented because I can’t read things out of order, and find it difficult to switch back and forth. Icho and Jane’s narratives are very different from each other. Icho is trying to help HSAs, although her motives for doing so does not become clear until later in the book. As a result of her work directly with HSAs she is more aware of how they are treated, the abuse that they suffer in the city and in the slums. In comparison, Jane is one of society’s elite who looks down on HSA’s with complete disgust as is expected of her as one of the “blissed”. When a traumatic event triggers HSA in her Jane is in complete denial. Denial that she has HSA and that she, the CEO of the most powerful company, is being stripped of her power and position. She is Jane Ward, this shouldn’t be happening to her!
On the run with a working cure, Icho recognises the symptoms of HSA in Jane and realises that Jane is her best chance of surviving. Jane has the resources and she needs Icho. Each of their narratives tell their stories up to the point where they find each other, and after that it becomes a combined narrative. The way Dundas has experimented with narrative in HellSans is brilliantly innovative and is something to explore all on its own. My focus, however, is on how she has captured the way that society and especially the medical profession has treated people with ME/CFS for decades. People with other chronic health conditions will be able to draw comparisons with this too, I mention ME/CFS especially because of the dedication at the start of the book.
Jane’s denial in particular was familiar, especially in a post-COVID world because there are so many people who were “healthy” that fell in with Long Covid and ME/CFS who previously would have looked down on disabled people for being “unhealthy”. We were ill due to our own actions. It was all because we didn’t look after ourselves, or we were overweight. There are many reasons we’ve all heard. Then COVID came along and didn’t discriminate. Likewise, HSA in HellSans can affect anyone at any time in their life if the circumstances are right. ME/CFS is the same; if the body undergoes enough physical trauma it can trigger ME/CFS. I know because that is exactly what happened to me.
Dundas doesn’t skim on detail when it comes to how messy having a chronic illness is, and looking at reviews I can see how much that went way over non-disabled readers heads. There is a lot of “body horror” in HellSans because guess what? Being disabled, especially being chronically ill, involves a lot of bodily fluids and not the fun ones. There is no difference between showing revulsion for fictional ill characters and real disabled people. You’re still showing revulsion about the same thing happening. Even by referring to symptoms as “body horror” there is a suggestion that what we go through is something from a horror story, that in some way it’s not real or that being disabled is so bad that it is “horrific”. Dundas could have written a neat story where Jane’s symptoms are perfectly timed, and aren’t as severe. But HellSans isn’t that type of story.
I also appreciated that Dundas showed the ugly side of her characters. Being disabled is rough, and Jane and Icho were in a very difficult situation. Suddenly becoming ill doesn’t suddenly make someone a saint. Jane was a nasty person before she developed HSA, and she’s still a bitch afterwards. Likewise, being a medical professional or scientist doesn’t mean you’re a good person. Both characters are very complicated and that is as it should be. If you’re heading into this book expecting to find likeable characters just because it’s about disability then this isn’t the book for you, and you need to check your ableism.
HellSans is a dark book that feels like Dundas was watching over my shoulder while I struggled every step of the way to get a diagnosis for ME/CFS, and has listened to every scream of frustration I’ve ever made as a chronically ill person. HellSans is unlike anything I have ever read. When I say this is a must-read for disabled readers I mean it. I was going to say it is a must-read for everyone, but having seen reviews from non-disabled readers I honestly don’t feel that many are able to understand what HellSans is saying. This is very much a love letter to the disabled community and written in our language for us. If non-disabled readers gain some understanding of our every day fight then that’s great, but if they don’t then that is their loss.
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October 17, 2022
I was drawn to this book because of the interesting idea of using a typeface as a mind control method, plus I love a dystopian. Unfortunately, this book reads as a thriller instead. The story is presented in three parts; parts one and two are Jane and Icho’s story, which happened concurrently and can be read in either order, then part three is them together. There is no world building or explanations that occur at the beginning of the book, you’re just thrown in to figure it out. Which led to a lot of confusion for me, because three of the characters have very similar names (Icho, Ino which are household helper bots, and Inex which are personal helper bots).
My biggest issue with reading this, however, were the two main characters. Icho is not a bad character but I wouldn’t say she’s good either, she kind of fades into the background. But Jane is a straight up sociopath. She isn’t really portrayed in the story as a villain or as a hero, so I don’t know what the author was intending with this character. But she is deeply unlikable, and a sexual predator to boot (trigger warning for dub con and non con). I should also give a warning for body horror (blood, open wounds, skin peeling off, vomiting, dead bodies).
Thank you to NetGalley & Angry Robot for this advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.
My biggest issue with reading this, however, were the two main characters. Icho is not a bad character but I wouldn’t say she’s good either, she kind of fades into the background. But Jane is a straight up sociopath. She isn’t really portrayed in the story as a villain or as a hero, so I don’t know what the author was intending with this character. But she is deeply unlikable, and a sexual predator to boot (trigger warning for dub con and non con). I should also give a warning for body horror (blood, open wounds, skin peeling off, vomiting, dead bodies).
Thank you to NetGalley & Angry Robot for this advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.
March 10, 2023
I love a good Dystopian novel, unfortunately, this wasn't one. I did like the fact the first two parts could be read in either order, but that was the best thing about the book. The main two characters were completely one-dimensional, without any personal development over the story arc. Supporting characters were so sketchy and shadowy as to hardly be worth appearing on the page.
Very disappointing - a great premise, but poorly executed in my opinion.
Very disappointing - a great premise, but poorly executed in my opinion.
December 16, 2022
What a shitty, horrible book. I think the underlying problem with it as a story, is that one character has too much power, and that character is not nice.
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