Wasteland

Hope, the brilliant first Operation Galton novel, was my Book Of The Month for January 2020 so I went into reading Wasteland with both high expectations for this sequel and a little trepidation in case it didn't hit the same lofty heights. I needn't have worried! Wasteland is just as exciting and I loved that Terry Tyler has plenty more social insights and prophecies up her sleeves to drive the story forward.

Wasteland is set just over three decades after Hope so, for the younger population at least, the drastic social changes experienced by their parents and grandparents are already losing relevance. Being told about other ways of living is no substitute for actually seeing it and the Megacity generation are unwittingly trapped within their own self-centered bubbles, too concerned with social standing and keeping up with their peers to realise that very little of what they strive for is actually worth the struggle.They are ruled by fear of failing, the horror of being shipped off to a Hope Village (places of last resort) being this society's bogeyman, yet willingly allow their every move to be monitored by apps and social media feeds, implants and holier-than-thou 'friends'.

I found this Megacity 'ideal' to be so suffocating that I was very pleased when we readers were allowed to escape to the Wasteland, a lawless and derelict place to be sure but one where the drop-out inhabitants believe themselves beyond the UK government's reach. Thanks to Tyler's vivid imagination, I could clearly envisage these degrading towns and villages. Almost entirely abandoned decades before and left to rot, the concept was familiar to me from rural villages we frequently see in France and Spain where the younger generations have moved to bigger towns for work, leaving their family homes empty, unwanted and, usually, unsaleable when the old folks die. There it has been a gradual process whereas, in Wasteland's history, it was fast, but the end result is the same. Like Rae I harbour romanticised notions of true Wasteland life so I could completely understand her desire to get herself out there and explore. Especially once Ace appears on the scene. I might just have a few romanticised notions there too!

Wasteland does follow on from Hope by linear timeline, but I think the two books could work well read in either order. For me, these are Wake Up novels which show a potential and utterly plausible path for the UK over the next few decades, one which would be practically irreversible once it started. I am particularly impressed with how Tyler has woven together logical extensions of present-day trends with instances of historical totalitarian actions to create a convincing worldview, then mixed in strongly motivated and believable characters, and also given us a compelling story to boot. If Wasteland isn't at the top of your TBR yet, it should be!