Ordinance 93

by L. Fabry

With the blessing of the 55th President of the United States, the newly formed Office of Familial Equality promises to end all the nation’s problems including poverty and illness with the Family Protection Act. The only catch is all pregnancies must be registered and approved.

All eyes turn to the first person to break the law, Justin Winters, an electrician suddenly turned subject of national attention. Joining him in the escape are the women known only as Spring, Summer, and Fall as they work together to run from the bureaucracy and national spotlight that pursues them.

Once the secretary of the OFE learns Winters has tested positive for causing multiple unregistered pregnancies, he comes after him full force, as the future of the Act rests upon if and how Winters and the women are brought in. Their successful defiance would lead to more defectors, their capture providing an opportunity to make an example of them all.

With little more than the clothes on their backs, the four set off on a quest for freedom and to keep the identity of the mother a secret. Most of all, they are running from an ordinance in the law which threatens what they hold most dear.

264 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 28, 2014

About the author

L. Fabry attended the University of Houston where she was overwhelmed by the talent of her faculty and peers. She now writes about everything from reaction injection molding to sex robots.

Reviews

[Abby · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF on page 213/71% (03/06/14)

2.75 “Things can’t stay like this forever.” stars.

Justin's sister and two of his union partners are pregnant. But they're not allowed, so they go on the run, but they're hunted by civilians and the government alike. Will they be able to last until their births?

I really wanted to enjoy Ordinance 93, it sounded like a brilliant idea- A man gets multiple women pregnant, and they are running from the law that says they can’t have them. When I first started, it opens with a scene where Justin (Winters) is signing up, and a woman is taken, and we’re told that Winter is planning on breaking the law- for what, it doesn't say until later.

I really enjoyed that part and thought the whole novel would be the same, but it slowly went downhill from there for me, as it took far too long to find out anything about them and what they’re doing. They are in a restaurant eating a meal and being all secretive, which I wish I could have enjoyed more, but it was a bit boring. I kept expecting it to go back to the standard of the beginning.

I also originally thought that Winter had gotten Summer, Spring, and Fall pregnant... But Spring is his sister, and completely baffled me. He then has continued sexual relations with Summer and Fall during their journey.

I don't understand why they didn't go on the run before they got pregnant, or before their registration, that just doesn't make sense to me. And why are they all carrying the same baby? I guess I'll never know.

Also, why do pregnancies have to be approved? What does the law stand for? Why are they being persecuted? Why are they the only ones who have done it?

There could have been a lot more world building, all I know is that there's an inside, and there is an outside, separated by a wall, and that the inside is run by the government. Other than that, I don't really know what was happening in their world. From what I can imagine, the dystopian world has great promise, but sadly wasn't executed well.

There is no grammar or spelling errors that I could find, and you can tell the author has spent time trying to develop the story by adding different perspectives. However, I didn't enjoy the different perspectives that much- there was no background on the people, and I found it hard to work out which of the characters it was talking about and what their history is. I think if there was much more character and plot building, with less perspectives, it could be an amazing novel.

I received a copy of Ordinance 93 in exchange for an honest review.

[Declan · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I tell everyone I know, I can read practically any political message, as long as they tell me a good story. I'll even take save the whales, as long as it's as well done as Star Trek IV.

Ordinance 93 is much like that, only the message is different. I would normally say that it's a pro-life message, but not really. Miss Fabry even said in her introduction that she wanted a message that the "pro-choice" and the pro-life crowd could get together on: What happens when you take away the choice? At the end of the day, I think this is less about American politics and more about the People Republic of China, where the policies in this book already take place. There are some elements that look like they came out of Obamacare news stories, but those are minimal, and could have been written into the story as an afterthought for all I know.

All in all, Fabry has created an interesting distopia, but also a good spy thriller. Much of the book is dedicated to exfiltration from this nightmare come true, and a chase, and it's well done spycraft that's not exactly John Le Carre, but as close as I'm going to see for a while. We have four strong character studies amongst our main characters, Justin Winter, and his three companions, codenamed Spring Fall and Summer (like I said, a good spy thriller -- at least it wasn't Tinker, Tailor, Soldier and Sailor), and there are elements of Clare Booth Luce to the way she handles the interpersonal interaction, well- written and realistic. Also, there are some great bits of witty narration that have some interesting turns of phrase that are almost on par with Raymond Chandler ... though there are some times when she tries just a little too hard.

At the end of the day, this is less about the politics and more about the chase. Even if you're easily offended over anything to do with abortion, I doubt this will manage to offend you.

Now, a little nitpicking. Considering the risks that our seasons quartet are taking, it would have been nice had the initial threat by the government been spelled out earlier in the book, instead of saved for the last 20%. There was almost too much implication at points about the dystopia. Sure, this works in a horror movie, like Jaws, but the shark should jump out and drag someone under every once in a while.

My major problem, however, is with the ending. First, I saw the twist coming, and I expected it. This may not be the case with everyone else. Second, the rest of the ending ... sigh. It's open-ended. Yes, there's enough there for an interesting conclusion, you can build your own ... and that's exactly what Fabry lets you do. I can understand why she did this, and it's telegraphed in the opening, she's trying to allow anyone at either side of the abortion issue to create their own ending. J. Michael Straczynski said that good fiction is supposed to ask questions and cause bar fights. I think that if we got a bunch of people who read this book in a bar, talking about the ending, you can cause a good bar fight. So, mission accomplished.

While I can understand what she did, appreciate why she did it, doesn't mean I like it. However, for a book that's 99% solid and fun, $4.99 is a good price.

[R.L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ordinance 93 is an incredible story. It is well-crafted and powerful. The story is about a government (the USA in the future) that takes away individual freedoms in the name of health, prosperity, and safety. The direction the government takes is manipulated by one scheming individual who knows how to make the "system" work to his advantage. Here is one of my favorite lines from this individual: "...given the increasingly long lines at emergency rooms - we've had delays as long as forty-eight hours - not to mention the waiting lists for even the most basic nursing homes, it no longer makes sense to add generations to the system that can't take care of all the ones who are here now." Ordinance 93 was created to "take care" of the problem. Everyone must "register" with the new system.

Central to the story are the four young people determined to draw attention to the inhumane results of ordinance 93 by running away and breaking the rules.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Marianne Sciucco · Rating 4 out of 5]

A futuristic political thriller of a novel, Ordinance 93 takes us on a fast-paced chase as four fugitives attempt to escape from a government that has become all too intrusive into the personal lives of its constituents. The Family Protection Act grants the U.S. government the power to decide who gets to procreate in an attempt to eliminate poverty and illness. This requires all pregnant women to report for registration and approval before their condition progresses. Jason Winters has fathered a child, and seeks to thwart this process with the help of three women,one of whom is his baby's mother. A national manhunt ensues, aided by an all-knowing media and a public hungry for the bounty offered to those who help capture Winters and his women. Add to this a ruthless megalomaniac appointed as head of the department enforcing this act, and the drama unfolds in chilling ways. A page-turner that will leave you wondering if one day such a scenario could really happen.

[Robert J. Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for many reasons. It is a story that I am glad was told and as the book progresses, I found myself getting more entrenched in the characters and their simple plight: to start a family with no interference from anyone. As a husband and father, I can relate to Justin Winter’s struggles against a growing force dedicated to keeping him from his worthwhile goals. The women joining him are refreshingly unique, as some books with more than one woman in them have them sounding alike, with the same goals, and mostly obsessed with their love interest. Not that there isn’t romantic tension, which isn’t overly or under done, but rings true, especially when the true meaning of the “code” names are revealed, along with the real purpose of Ordinance 93. I would recommend it to anyone.

[Bibliophile Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story will tale you on a ride with these four individuals that are on the run from the government who takes away individual freedoms with health and safety As you read this book you will wander if this will ever happen. Can it happen, or even when it will happen. I felt that this book was well written and will keep you on the edge of your seat as the story line moves at a fast pace. The characters are well balanced in this book. The story lines in it's self is a little mind boggling. It will surely make you think and look at the what if's and when will this happen within our own government. L. Fabry will keep you wanting to read more of what she has already publish and any further publishing to come.

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

I usually find dystopian novels a chore to read. This tale of a man and his three female companions rebelling against an overweening government is an exception. The government, of the near-future United States, has taken it upon itself to regulate pregnancy and childbirth, for everyone's own good of course. This book might have seemed too far-fetched just a few years ago, but recent political developments make it chillingly believable. Recommended reading for everyone that wants to raise a child in a free world.

[Stephanie Torreno · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ms. Fabry is in my critique group, so I heard various chapters of her first novel over a few months. When I read her entire work, I appreciated the questions that make readers think throughout the book. Who should decide which individuals have the right to procreate? Should government be allowed to dictate such a personal choice?

Fabry's colorful language and twisting and turning plot will leave readers considering these intriguing questions after the last page is read.

[Karen Alterisio nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

With well rounded characters, and an interesting plot, this story moves at a quick pace. Lilia Fabry conjures a dystopian society that is both intriguing and frightening at times. She breathes life into the characters in such a way that you find yourself tagging along on their journey and keeps them on your mind long after you've turned the last page. Beautifully written, Fabry is a master story-teller.

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book begins a little slow. You are not sure what is happening and why. Which is ok because we get to learn about these characters a little at a time. After the first third it kicks into full gear and you are on a ride. I'm not into spoilers or telling you what happens but what I know is this. A good book should make you do three things. Laugh, Cry and think. Fabry has it covered. Enjoy this book, I did.

[Pamela Hutchins · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you enjoy futuristic dramas that pose moral dilemmas and illustrate the extreme outcomes of political behavior and social policy, you will love Ordinance 93. The story moves a little slowly at first but speeds up until it becomes quite the page-turner. The ending is a shocker, and wrenching. A very intriguing first novel from an author to watch.

[Mark Alger · Rating 2 out of 5]

While reading, I found the narrative confusing and jumpy. Could have used editing for continuity and perspective. Some of the narrative constructions are not what I would consider well-formed syntactically. The book is clearly politically-motivated and does well at that. But as story-telling, it falls far short of an acceptable professional performance.

[Gran103 · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you enjoy dystopian fiction, this is a good book to add to your collection. Follow the events of a group of people who have DARED to flaunt the law of unapproved pregnancy. A hint of Huxley mixed with Orwell with plot twists and you have a new thriller. Fabry raises dystopia to a new level.

[Roger Paulding · Rating 4 out of 5]

An important book with an Intriguing story of what can happen in the future. This book will make you think, shiver, and perhaps look for a hiding place!

[Steve M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm still forming my opinion on Ordinance 93. A lot to like here. A bit confusing too.