Eugenica

by Peter C. Whitaker

1930's Britain the Ministry of Social Biology (MoSB) is responsible for improving the health of the nation along eugenic principles. Grace and Tom are sent to the MoSB's Spring Bank facility, their crime being that they are born disabled. In this dystopian alternate history they discover that they now count for nothing. As Brinley Valentine Husher hosts an International Eugenics Congress on board the airship R102 a battle rages in the English countryside as the secretive Verdure seek to stamp the country with a eugenic brand, opposed by the equally shadowy Indivisibles. Together Grace and Tom fall into a desperate struggle, pursued by a Eugenic superman, defended by a war hero, and desperate to free their friends from the living nightmare that is the MoSB.

452 pages, Paperback

Published October 14, 2016

About the author

My father worked in engineering and mother in printing. I left school with unexceptional qualifications and after a series of dead-end jobs I went to Coleg Harlech Adult Education College in Gwynedd, North Wales, to study English Literature and Philosophy. After graduating I drifted into the Civil Service.

My mother ensured that both I and my two brothers could read and write before we started school, a gift that I am always grateful to her for. It is as a result of this that I have always been an avid reader. My main criteria for picking up a book to read is the hope that it has a good story, the genre always comes second to me. As a result I have read very widely and I don’t have any favourites. I do return to particular authors but I am not the kind of reader who must have someone’s latest book as soon as it comes out, I’ll get around to it eventually.

I am interested in an equally diverse number of subjects, my main interests being natural history, human history, art, theatre, cinema, football, travelling, science, and politics to a degree. I love life and the living of it and I hope that this is reflected in my writing.

Reviews

[Susan Osborne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eugenica, a book to ignite many passions within you.

The horrific scenario of how it might have been if the governments had adopted a policy of ridding society of its undesirables, i.e. the weak the disabled and the non perfect examples of humanity, as if they were mere animals, unfolds in this story. Very quickly the reader hates the scientists, abhors the newly created Ministry of Social Biology, and wills the disabled children to escape their awful plight. When Captain Falcon turned up unexpectedly to help the children escape I could have cheered! At last some support. The story picks up pace from this point, the children escape, SpringBank facility is in chaos and Grace has learned that she has a very special father in Dr Hunt who now takes up the fight with the Indivisables against eugenics and the Verdure.
The only downside for me, was the language is both very scientific and quite flowery, which had me using the handy dictionary facility quite often. Descriptive, and with good location knowledge to add a sense of credibility, this really is a very good read.