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JOY Shortlisted for 2024 Rubery Book Award

Benjamin Evett



Here is the wonderful review from the site. I don't know who specifically wrote this up, but it's great:


"This is a propulsive, post-apocalyptic thriller touching on some fascinating philosophical issues. The world-building is subtle and convincing, and its dystopian vision feels troublingly plausible. Fifteen year old Virgo is left in the care of Tender, an android carer, after a weather event destroys a strange ‘spa’ where people go to live in a state of perpetual bliss. What follows is a kind of post-apocalyptic quest narrative in which they meet a variety of different people who seem to offer, and present, different views on humanity and the meaning of life itself. The Elysium Spa, and Tender, Virgo’s ‘guardian angel’, are wonderful creations which allow Evett to flirt with some very relevant questions about reality versus pleasure and what it means to be human. While we know Tender is a robot, we find ourselves deeply emotionally involved with him: it matters little that the ‘human virtues’ that drive him, principally duty, are a product of his programming.  The story has a light touch, focused on plot, but it doesn’t lack complexity, offering some nuanced reflections on ethics, aesthetics, and politics.  The characterisation is strong too, particularly Tender.  Virgo’s struggles to make sense of her new life - her toilet training and self-pleasuring, for instance - are well-handled, simultaneously humorous and discomfiting. There are some nice twists - we never quite know who to trust - and the ending is pleasingly upbeat, championing social engagement over the self-serving pursuit of pleasure."

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