THE MASK OF DECEIT
By Hettie Ashwin.
Even though it is speculative fiction, the novel The Mask of Deceit couldn’t be more timely.
News headlines constantly scream about corruption, cover ups, and environmental issues. This insightful novel paints a grim picture of the inevitable result if these issues are allowed to continue.
When asked her motivation for writing the novel, author Hettie Ashwin said, ‘I set out to write a quest book with a modern theme. At the time, there was a lot of political talk about GM food and superbugs so I used these themes in a speculative fiction context. I wrote about the science that is happening in the 21st Century and what would it be like if it were to go awry.’
The story is set in the future and is a story that will horrify and amaze the reader. It is a story of a world after carbon trading, after conglomerate GM food production, after the global warming crisis. This is the world of the main character, Anton. It is a world of fear of the natural environment and virtual imprisonment in a city totally controlled by government.
When his partner Buloké disappears, Anton sets out in search of her. Leaving the city and the only life he has ever known, Anton embarks on a journey to a place that to him is only legend. Fighting for his life against a controlling government, hoards of rapacious arthropods, and the freezing cold, Anton discovers a whole new world. A world he didn’t believe existed. What he learns in this wondrous place will change his life forever and set him on a quest to fight for truth against a government rife with corruption and deceit.
When asked if there was message in her novel that she wanted readers to grasp, Hettie said, ‘Be careful of government freedoms. Governments appear to give you stability, freedom, and choice, but it is a double edged sword. One man can make a difference; it just takes courage to be an individual. Everyone needs hope for the future.’
Even though it is speculative fiction, the author conducted extensive research in genetics, modified food, global predictions, weather predictions, global warming, insects and their survival, human endurance, physics of magnetism, and positive atmospheric pressure for the book.
The book in paperback and eBook formats is available from http://morrispublishingaustralia.com and many online stores, including Amazon and The Nile. The paperback is available at your local bookstore through Dennis Jones and Associates.
Author Marianne de Pierres, will launch the novel at the Cairns Tropical Writers Festival on Saturday September 15th at 3.50 pm.
On Writing 