Guernica Night cover art

Guernica Night

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About this listen

A rash of suicides has sent shock waves through a tightly organized society that officially frowns on such an act but privately makes it unavoidable. How else could people endure in a world carefully calculated to rob its citizens of self-respect and dignity? One man struggles against the overpowering temptation to take his own life, because he realizes that he must survive or else give the strange unseen rulers final victory. The characters in this extraordinary novel of the future share a host of psychiatric disturbances. One is haunted by strange visions in the night; another can reach sexual climax only in the confines of an old jalopy; others share schizophrenic fantasies that give frightening insight into the nature of their anguish.

©1975 Barry N. Malzberg (P)2013 Audible, Inc. Science Fiction Fiction
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those familiar with the thesis of capitalist realism should find some familiar themes here. In a society that seems to have lost its direction and purpose the only viable response of those under 25 if they don't want to join in seems to be to check out at alarmingly high rates. maybe the only option is madness, religion or the temporary solace of coupling? no great revolution here or solutions are suggested, one suspects it would just lead back to the start as the players are always the same. malzberg in this and many of his other books seems to be saying that without a great step forward in human consciousness space exploration, utopias, etc. really are meaningless as the current state of human culture will always be the limiting factor in its own happiness and sense of purpose. maybe focusing more on cultural development and less on technological solutions might be the key to improving the human condition once basic material needs are met.

bleak and bittersweet

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