There’s an old Chinese curse that wishes the unlucky recipient to
Live in interesting times
Now, no one – be they Brexiter, Remainer, environmentalist, climate change denier (Donald Trump, I suspect, might be all of the above, depending on what time of night he’s tweeting and how much cheese he ate before he snuggled up in his jammies) – could say the early 21st century isn’t just that
Interesting.
We have an American President who spills his scrambled brains in public at any time of day or night, who slams a free press and pulls his country back from environmental reforms at a moment of global catastrophe.
We have a British Prime Minister who behaves like a despot, illegally closing parliament when it doesn’t agree with his policies, sacking long time supporters when they do the same, is determined to drag the country towards an economic abyss because his backers have gambled big on a no deal Brexit.
We have a sixteen year old girl with Aspergers talking more sense, being a better leader to a generation than a whole room full of squirming, suited, self-serving politicians …
Interesting times indeed.
Perhaps this is why Iain Kelly’s State novels resonate so deeply.
Set in a world post huge environmental collapse, in an undemocratic state that controls every aspect of peoples lives from what they eat to how they spend their time and what medication they can take.
And yet, even here, revolution smoulders.
State of Denial (the second of Iain’s State Trilogy) is out today.
It is election time in The State, the citizens prepare to vote. A journalist from the Capital City, Maxine Aubert, heads north to report on growing resistance to the powerful ruling Party. Ex-police detective Danny Samson returns to the City he once fled, leaving behind a new found peace in the wilderness. Together Max and Danny become entangled in a burgeoning opposition movement with links to Dannyβs past. Soon they learn the ruling Party will do whatever it takes to remain in power, and one life is all it takes to spark a revolution.
A novel for our interesting times.
Here’s a link to Iain’s site.
And if you’d like to read a previous interview I had with Iain on the release of the first State novel – A Justified State – see here.
Thank you Lynn, that’s a great introduction to many of the themes that were in my mind when I started writing this novel.
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My total pleasure, Iain. Your themes and ideas seem frighteningly prescient – more so by the day, or so it seems. Hope the launch goes brilliantly
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Reblogged this on Iain Kelly and commented:
Over on her Wordshamble blog, Lynn has written a great introduction to some of the themes that inspired my latest novel, State of Denial, a political thriller based in an imagined future. Do check it out.
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Sound intriguing Lynn!
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Iain deals with some big issues, that’s for sure, and his ideas about a possible future are well realised, credible and not a little disturbing!
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Thank you Matthew, do check it out if you get the chance π
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What one might call, Interesting.
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Interesting, indeed π
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Thank you Crispina, I hope you will find it interesting π
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We’ll see….
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Can’t wait to read part 2!
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Re your very excellent intro, Lynn, we live in shocking times indeed, ruled by self-serving wreckers and pillagers.
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I hope you get the chance to check out the book Tish π
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I will π
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How right you are, Tish. Sadly, I’m not sure if this will change any time soon. We seem to accept that our politicians are like this and are unsurprised by every new misdeamenour – even breaking the law and lying to the Queen!
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