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Grayscale or: A Methodical End to the Tragedies of Race
A deeply disturbing briefcase of body horror stuffed with tongue-in-cheek social satire, from author Mak Ralston.
"Do the ends justify the means?"
In a preposterous attempt to end all racism by ending all races, a deeply convicted agent of the United States government conducts a radical and quite literal underground experiment wherein all diverse participants are surgically and chemically turned the same shade of gray.
"Do the ends justify the means?"
In a preposterous attempt to end all racism by ending all races, a deeply convicted agent of the United States government conducts a radical and quite literal underground experiment wherein all diverse participants are surgically and chemically turned the same shade of gray.
233 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 1, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 11, 2025
Amazing portrayal of Americas future and yet the past all at the same time.
Kept hooking my interest constantly with its witty humor and tragically white characters.
Kept hooking my interest constantly with its witty humor and tragically white characters.
November 28, 2024
Grayscale is a sci-fi horror following a man's quest to end racism. I will admit, sci-fi horror is outside my preferred genre, but it's good to go outside one's comfort zone now and then. Grayscale is an accessible, fun, suspenseful, and at times comedic read. I recommend it especially to those who enjoy that genre.
Ralston deals with an interesting hypothetical: what if the answer to racism was if everyone was the same? Ralston's main character, Dean, sets out to answer that question by turning test subjects gray. This is entirely outlandish, but I think that's the point. You do have to suspend your belief, otherwise you will become hyper-focused on the logistics of turning people gray.
Ralston does dialogue very well, and Grayscale is at its best when Ralston has the test subjects conversing together. I would have enjoyed even more scenes like that. His characterization is mixed; some characters he handles very well, whereas others feel lacking or contradictory. His characterization shines when writing for a particular kind of character. His characterization of Dallas Smith and Abraham Jones I particularly enjoyed.
Ralston has a very unique writing style. It's not everyone's cup of tea. I would describe it as vulgar and ironic. It comes off as comedic at times, and there were moments reading that I just burst out laughing. If you are into that, you will really enjoy his writing.
Ralston is dealing with a very sensitive topic, and I applaud him for taking it head on. I think his humor and crassness actually helped in this regard. I agree with the message he was conveying, and I hope that those who are not as media literate will still be able to pick up on what Ralston is saying.
Overall, I do recommend this book, especially to those who are familiar with Ralston's work already, or have a love for that genre.
Ralston deals with an interesting hypothetical: what if the answer to racism was if everyone was the same? Ralston's main character, Dean, sets out to answer that question by turning test subjects gray. This is entirely outlandish, but I think that's the point. You do have to suspend your belief, otherwise you will become hyper-focused on the logistics of turning people gray.
Ralston does dialogue very well, and Grayscale is at its best when Ralston has the test subjects conversing together. I would have enjoyed even more scenes like that. His characterization is mixed; some characters he handles very well, whereas others feel lacking or contradictory. His characterization shines when writing for a particular kind of character. His characterization of Dallas Smith and Abraham Jones I particularly enjoyed.
Ralston has a very unique writing style. It's not everyone's cup of tea. I would describe it as vulgar and ironic. It comes off as comedic at times, and there were moments reading that I just burst out laughing. If you are into that, you will really enjoy his writing.
Ralston is dealing with a very sensitive topic, and I applaud him for taking it head on. I think his humor and crassness actually helped in this regard. I agree with the message he was conveying, and I hope that those who are not as media literate will still be able to pick up on what Ralston is saying.
Overall, I do recommend this book, especially to those who are familiar with Ralston's work already, or have a love for that genre.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews