Bloodbusters

by Francesco Verso

What if taxes were paid through blood withdrawals? What if tax evasion was a crime punishable with imprisonment and enforced by the Bloodbusters? What if donating blood was illegal?

In a grotesque Rome, BloodBuster Alan Costa falls in love with Anissa Malesano, a compulsive donor for AN underworld organisation who gives her blood to anyone in need.

As a web of deceit and treachery spreads wide around Alan, he begins to wonder if he can trust his colleagues or even his own boss. When Anissa is jailed for tax evasion, Alan is faced with a choice that could cost him everything.

Winner of the Urania Award

"Full of savage humour, Francesco Verso imagines a tax system in Italy based upon blood. Amazingly this has nothing to do with actual zombies (to bend a bit the word 'actual'). Weirdly, BloodBusters is plausible and powerfully written, a high- spirited page-turner thanks to a great translation by Sally McCorry. Definitely this is the book to read after a holiday in Rome (though maybe not before). I shan't forget in a hurry Verso's Intravenous Revenue or the haemergency sirens and flashers of the taxbulance."

Ian Watson, author of the screen story for Steven Spielberg's A.I. Artificial Intelligence

Genres: Science Fiction

192 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2015

About the author

Francesco Verso (Bologna, 1973) is a multiple-award Science Fiction writer and editor. He has published: Antidoti umani, e-Doll, Nexhuman, Bloodbusters, Futurespotting and I camminatori (made of The Pulldogs and No/Mad/Land). Nexhuman and Bloodbusters have been published in Italy, US, UK and China. I camminatori will be published by Flame Tree Press as The Roamers in Spring 2023. He works as editor of Future Fiction, scouting and translating the best SF from 12 languages and more than 30 countries. He’s the Honorary Director of the Fishing Fortress SF Academy of Chongqing. He may be found online at www.futurefiction.org.

Reviews

[NoeLindemann · Rating 2 out of 5]

Non è facile recensire questo libro... Sicuramente ho apprezzato l' idea dell' utilizzo del sangue al posto del denaro, molto cyberpunk e distopica,in linea con quanto mi aspetto dai romanzi di questa casa editrice. Ad abbassare notevolmente il punteggio purtroppo sono la scelta lessicale e il registro linguistico che mi stato un vero ostacolo al portare a termine la lettura. Non ho inoltre apprezzato i personaggi che sono burini e razzisti, delle caricature di loro stessi! Secondo il mio punto di vista la trama è stata penalizzata da queste scelte che davvero non capisco.

[Erica · Rating 1 out of 5]

Beh che dire, l’idea poteva anche essere interessante, ma la scrittura carente.
Zero caratterizzazione dei personaggi, razzismo a palate, per non parlare di come sono descritti i personaggi femminili.
E boh, la storia non va da nessuna parte in realtà, affrettata e senza senso

[Emily]

Not for the squeamish. I had to give up.

[Kaitlin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not sure if it was a product of the translation to English, but the language was a real barrier for me to get into this book. It was too simple and immature, obfuscating the story behind poor prose and weak dialogue.