Today on the blog, I review The Pod Tower, a new dystopian sci-fi by Pete Alexander.
Fans of dystopian fiction looking for a novel with an older protagonist will find The Pod Tower a quick, interesting read.
When I cracked open The Pod Tower, I had no idea what to expect other than a tale possessing speculative fiction tropes. The author had contacted me through my website asking for a review.
After reading the first few pages, it quickly became apparent I was reading a dystopian near-future sci-fi. The story possesses all the usual tropes: a society hamstrung by a war of apocalyptic proportions, an environment collapsing due to humankind's shenanigans, and an authoritarian government that isn't exactly trustworthy. Sound similar to every other dystopian yarn you've ever read? It should. The Pod Tower shares much with other titles in its subgenre. In the case of this novel, that is a great thing because Alexander gives the reader an interesting, even pleasant, twist. You see, the protagonist, Marcus Calvert, isn't a young buck rebelling against society. Instead, he is a middle-aged man beaten down by life. He doesn't rebel against the world so much as be left behind by it. This gives the reader a perspective on dystopia slightly askew from what similar books offer with much younger protagonists.
As the story progresses, Marcus and the reader discover much is not what it seems, at least at the surface level. However, it's clear the government does not have any interest in or respect for individualism. Indeed, those in power take concrete measures to keep the average person as docile as a well-fed sheep. Marcus has no intention of being docile. He intends to save his estranged son come hell or high water.
Fans of dystopian fiction looking for a novel with an older protagonist will find The Pod Tower a quick, interesting read. While rough around the edges, a bit of a curmudgeon even, Marcus has his heart in the right place, and in the end, he's a character worth rooting for.
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