Post-apocalyptic masterpiece?
This dystopian tale begins within a titanic superstructure, a tribute to a high tech fallen civilisation. It's Earth, but not as we know it. Piranesi is a man trying to find sense and reason within this decaying world.
Piranesi is an excellent character to drive this kind of story, being aged 30-35 gives him youth, vitality, some naivety and yet enough life experience to comprehend the world in some depth. The first person perspective adhered me to his personality, that and his scientific internal monologue, which works wonders to explain this world through Piranesi’s voice.
Without a real community, Piranesi has twice-weekly meetings with the only other human still alive, a man in his 50-60’s. They debate their thoughts on the world, and the belief that there is a knowledge to be found out there, perhaps to save them both from being erased from the Earth.
The world as they know it is submerged in the ocean, within a superstructure made of many halls of a similar dimension, each containing statues of sizes varying from child to monolithic proportions. Piranesi has discovered 970x1650 halls, which have 30 floors, reaching up into the clouds. The sea water comes flooding in at certain times of year when the moon drives the tidal flow. It’s a truly epic vision and raises many questions. Where did these couple come from? Where are all the rest of human kind? What is left of the earth? What purpose do these halls serve? Who built them, how?
The author has done their research, pondered what could be in the near future or alternate reality. The Family Circle biscuits indicates that this part of the world is either located in the UK or somewhere on the coast of Europe. Great tidal descriptions, assisting the mystic feel of a remnant of civilisation, which has no google search, very limited if any vocally passed down history.
This extract offers a thought provoking vision, which will stretch the imagination. I’ve had a break from readers first, but this book offers the potential to be a real gem, a treasure in these testing times. This genre brings me back to my distant youth.
Piranesi is an excellent character to drive this kind of story, being aged 30-35 gives him youth, vitality, some naivety and yet enough life experience to comprehend the world in some depth. The first person perspective adhered me to his personality, that and his scientific internal monologue, which works wonders to explain this world through Piranesi’s voice.
Without a real community, Piranesi has twice-weekly meetings with the only other human still alive, a man in his 50-60’s. They debate their thoughts on the world, and the belief that there is a knowledge to be found out there, perhaps to save them both from being erased from the Earth.
The world as they know it is submerged in the ocean, within a superstructure made of many halls of a similar dimension, each containing statues of sizes varying from child to monolithic proportions. Piranesi has discovered 970x1650 halls, which have 30 floors, reaching up into the clouds. The sea water comes flooding in at certain times of year when the moon drives the tidal flow. It’s a truly epic vision and raises many questions. Where did these couple come from? Where are all the rest of human kind? What is left of the earth? What purpose do these halls serve? Who built them, how?
The author has done their research, pondered what could be in the near future or alternate reality. The Family Circle biscuits indicates that this part of the world is either located in the UK or somewhere on the coast of Europe. Great tidal descriptions, assisting the mystic feel of a remnant of civilisation, which has no google search, very limited if any vocally passed down history.
This extract offers a thought provoking vision, which will stretch the imagination. I’ve had a break from readers first, but this book offers the potential to be a real gem, a treasure in these testing times. This genre brings me back to my distant youth.