What Price Freedom? New book, out June 14th. THE MARSH PEOPLE

JUNE 14th – Book Launch

NEW BOOK COMING RIGHT UP! THE MARSH PEOPLE. Dystopian fantasy for adults at your fingertips, from Victorina Press – www.victorinapress.com.

The idea for this book came after I’d been reading Seligman’s experiments on Learned Helplessness. He found that dogs became used to restricted uncomfortable conditions and when given a mild electric shock if they tried to escape became apathetic and accepting of their lot. When it became possible for them to escape and the electric stimuli were removed, most dogs were so cowed they stayed put. However, there were one or two dogs who saw a chance of freedom and risked all in order to escape. As with Stockholm Syndrome, most of the dogs preferred being with their captors to risking their own freedom outside.

In the battle between the authoritarian, all powerful State and its imprisoned slaves, whose lives are controlled by The Masters, there are a few winners. People have been rounded up from the villages by dogs controlled by the Masters and forced to live and work in bleak, prison-like apartments. Provided with basic food and shelter, they have little else, but like automatons, rarely do they rebel.

Scummo meets Kelpin. Her mother is dead. Scummo is moved to pity by this child, knowing that if she‘s taken to the Orphanage, she‘ll be killed. Risking all, he leaves the City taking her with him. They escape not knowing how they‘ll survive in the alien landscape outside. The invisible Masters watch their progress with interest.

The pair travel through marshy, giant eel-infested lands, eventually meeting others living as outsiders, with Bethyl as their leader. Life is uncomfortable and unpredictable, but they learn about freedom, co-operation and compassion and must fight for their survival at times when rival groups try to take over. The Masters watch them. A dystopian novel pitting outsiders against inhuman tyrants. Who will win?

If you enjoyed THE POISON GARDEN OF DORELIA JONES, you’ll enjoy this book.