Dave Hutchinson (1) (1960–)
Autore di Europe In Autumn
Per altri autori con il nome Dave Hutchinson, vedi la pagina di disambiguazione.
Sull'Autore
Dave Hutchinson was born in Sheffield in 1960. After reading American Studies at the University of Nottingham, he became a journalist. He's the author of five collections of short stories and one novel, and his novella "The Push" was shortlisted for the 2010 BSFA award for short fiction. He has mostra altro also edited two anthologies and co-edited a third. His short story 'The Incredible Exploding Man' was featured in the first 'Solaris Rising' anthology, and appeared in the 29th Year's Best Science Fiction collection. In 2015 his title Europe in Autumn made the shortlist for the Arthur C Clarke Award for science-fiction. (Bowker Author Biography) mostra meno
Serie
Opere di Dave Hutchinson
Sugar Engines 3 copie
Dali's clocks (short story) 2 copie
The Trauma Jockey 2 copie
Tir-na-nog 2 copie
The Pavement Artist 2 copie
Discreet Phenomena 1 copia
Scuffle 1 copia
Fear Of Strangers 1 copia
Mice 1 copia
Catacomb Saints 1 copia
When We Learn To Fly 1 copia
You Can't Get Off At Cockfosters 1 copia
Suburban Angels 1 copia
On The Windsor Branch 1 copia
Henry's Eden 1 copia
Life On Mars 1 copia
A Dream Of Locomotives 1 copia
Opere correlate
2001: An Odyssey in Words: Celebrating the Centenary of Arthur C. Clarke's Birth (2018) — Collaboratore — 53 copie
Celebration: Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the British Science Fiction Association (2008) — Collaboratore — 34 copie
Etichette
Informazioni generali
- Nome legale
- Hutchinson, David Christopher
- Altri nomi
- Hutchinson, David
- Data di nascita
- 1960-12-19
- Sesso
- male
- Nazionalità
- UK
- Luogo di nascita
- Sheffield, UK
- Luogo di residenza
- London, England, UK
- Istruzione
- University of Nottingham (American Studies)
- Attività lavorative
- journalist
Utenti
Recensioni
Liste
Premi e riconoscimenti
Potrebbero anche piacerti
Autori correlati
Statistiche
- Opere
- 44
- Opere correlate
- 16
- Utenti
- 1,345
- Popolarità
- #19,140
- Voto
- 3.8
- Recensioni
- 105
- ISBN
- 52
- Lingue
- 4
- Preferito da
- 3
The first book in this ‘Fractured Europe’ series was recommended to me by a friend, and I bought it as a ebook for a few dollars. Then I rapidly went out and bought the second. The third, maddeningly, wasn’t yet released, but I placed it on pre-order and it arrived a couple of weeks ago.
So I read these three books in a matter of a few weeks. And then I turned around and immediately read them all through again from cover to cover, and I’m glad I did — so much I had missed or not understood now became clear(er). But even now I’m not sure that I fully understand what has been going on, and I’m wondering if there will be a fourth or fifth book in the series which may reveal more. Talk about ‘a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma’! (A not-inappropriate quotation, as it turns out).
Where to start? Well, first we have to set the scene, which is the near-term future in Europe after the European Union has essentially broken up back into its individual nations. But the rot hasn’t stopped there, and there’s a wave of independent nations, principalities or ‘polities’ breaking off from those nations, as regional and ethnic loyalties come to the fore. This reaches an almost absurd degree, with in some cases a few blocks of some cities declaring their independence. The whole concept of the Schengen Treaty of doing away with borders in Europe is now a sad, half-forgotten joke. Borders and border controls are everywhere.
Even more interesting, a trans-continental railway line has been built from Spain through to Eastern Sibera. On its completion the company promptly declares the railway and the land immediately surrounding it to be sovereign territory, and that the Line is now an independent nation. The Line’s stations are Consulates. One needs a visa to travel on the train, and to become a citizen to work for the Line. The author somehow makes this all seem perfectly rational.
We’re introduced to Rudi, the young Estonian-born chef at Restaurant Max in Kraków, in Poland. Through some shady connections of his boss Max, Rudi is eventually recruited into a shadowy organisation called Les Coureurs de Bois (“the runners of the woods”?). It’s kind of a courier operation, carrying mail and packages from one nation to another — something no longer easy, or even necessarily legal. It’s like a cross between a courier company, a smuggling ring, and an espionage outfit. Most governments heavily disapprove of it.
For most of the first book, we’re learning about Rudi and following him on the various Situations he’s placed in from time to time (while still mostly working as a chef). Some of these go well, a few go wrong, and eventually disastrously wrong. Something very strange is going on, and Rudi finds that he is being hunted and that his life is in danger. All of this (other than the slighly futuristic setting) has the engaging fascination of a spy thriller, or perhaps one of the Jason Bourne movies. Apart from the occasional use of advanced technology like ‘stealth suits’, this all seems barely like science fiction at all.
I can’t describe too much more without spoilers. Suffice it to say that about 80% through the first book, Rudi has finally tracked down what a dying former Coureur tells him is ‘the proof’. It’s in the deciphering of this proof that Rudi discovers a secret which does plunge us into real science fiction territory.
I enjoyed the second book even more than the first, as we encounter the first person narrative of ‘Rupert’ who lives in a vast (really vast) university campus run as a totalitarian regime, which has just undergone a bloody revolution. How this ties in with what Rudi has discovered in the first book takes quite a while to emerge.
It was really worthwhile re-reading the books. So much of what is going on in earlier parts of the narrative is explained by what comes later that you are almost compelled to go back and read those earlier passages again. It’s a tribute to how good the writing is that all three books were just as enjoyable to read again so soon.
Gosh these books are good! Puzzling, challenging, but very good. Written, by someone who seems to know Eastern Europe (and the restaurant trade) very well; very clever plotting; really original concepts; great characterisation. I loved them and look forward to reading more from this author.… (altro)