A Country of Ghosts

, #2

Livre broché, 222 pages

Langue : English

Publié 22 novembre 2021 par AK Press.

ISBN :
978-1-84935-448-6
ISBN copié !

Voir sur OpenLibrary

5 étoiles (6 critiques)

Dimos Horacki is a Borolian journalist and a cynical patriot, his muckraking days behind him. But when his newspaper ships him to the front, he’s embedded in the Imperial Army and the reality of colonial expansion is laid bare before him. His adventures take him from villages and homesteads to the great refugee city of Hronople, built of glass, steel, and stone, all while a war rages around him. The empire fights for coal and iron, but the anarchists of Hron fight for their way of life. A Country of Ghosts is a novel of utopia besieged that challenges every premise of contemporary society.

2 éditions

a publié une critique de A Country of Ghosts par Margaret Killjoy (Black Dawn, #2)

Always Leave Them Wanting More

5 étoiles

A breath of fresh air. It was extremely healing to read some actual anarchist fiction--something that can make me feel good about myself and the world. If you wanted a inverted, optimistic Dishonored, look no further.

It's definitely a shorter read (by the metrics of my 2-hour-podcast-addled brain) and parts of the prose are surprisingly sparse. Something will happen, or you'll meet someone, and you'll think "Gosh, that was fast! I liked that bit! Why couldn't we have gone into more detail?" The map at the front is a perfect metaphor--the capital cities of Borolia and Vorronia, but the only other fleshed out place is Hron.

Ultimately it makes sense. This is a story written by Dimos, and Dimos is explicitly emphasizing certain parts of his story to explain what the hell Hron is to the people living back in Borolia. Writing any story at all is a massive undertaking …

a publié une critique de A Country of Ghosts par Margaret Killjoy (Black Dawn, #2)

A Beautiful Primer on Anarchism

5 étoiles

Margaret Killjoy is a great author and this story is captivating. What a fantastic perspective of anarchist resistance to colonization. I would love to eventually read a prequel about Hron that talks about the influx of refugees into the area and discusses the dangers of projecting Utopian ideals onto a "new country" that is already inhabited by indigenous peoples.

a publié une critique de A Country of Ghosts par Margaret Killjoy (Black Dawn, #2)

An enjoyable utopia

4 étoiles

At times a bit didactic, and certainly anachronistic - it's set in the past, in an anarchist community, with a very present sensibility - the story keeps everything going nicely. If you've ever been involved in non-hierarchical, and anarchist, spaces or groups you'll recognise a lot of the underlying organisation and discussions. There's a fair focus on the different ways of doing things, and social verses individualism. Less so some of the other complex interpersonal situations that arise. All more easily solved, and enjoyable to read, with the outside enemy of the expansionist imperialist state.

a publié une critique de A Country of Ghosts par Margaret Killjoy (Black Dawn, #2)

Review of 'A Country of Ghosts' on 'Goodreads'

5 étoiles

Cette collection "Black Dawn" est décidément très prometteuse. Après [b:Grievers|58505022|Grievers (Black Dawn, #1)|Adrienne Maree Brown|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1633374629l/58505022.SX50.jpg|91886516] qui m'avait déjà beaucoup plu, je crois que le deuxième roman de cette collection m'a encore plus séduit.

Margaret Killjoy nous plonge dans un univers de fantasy inspirée de notre XVIIIe ou de notre XIXe siècle pour nous parler de notre monde. Le protagoniste est un journaliste embarqué au sein de l'armée impériale dans une guerre de conquête coloniale. Sa mission est de suivre le général en chef de cette armée et de livrer à l'opinion publique la propagande attendue par l'Empire.

Evidemment, rien ne va se passer comme prévu et nous allons suivre notre journaliste à la découverte de la population indigène. Loin des sauvages et des barbares décrits par la propagande - celle qu'il était chargé d'écrire - il découvre une société basée sur la liberté, l'autonomie, la solidarité, et l'aide …