What do you think?
Rate this book
Scorch
In this near-future dystopia, the corporate take-over of American democracy is complete. Three huge conglomerates now run the country—everything is privatized. Wealth worship feeds income inequality; corporate propaganda determines everyone's thoughts and desires; and because everyone must work two or more jobs to survive in this economy, no one has the time, focus, or presence of mind to question what "everyone knows." No one, that is, until 30-year-old Arel Ashe begins to see things differently.
Arel works in an adstories department by day and a forgotten "public" library at night. Initially, she believes what everyone else does—that happiness comes with material success. But a disturbing event makes her begin to question her culture's common wisdoms. Pitted against the Corporacracy and a deranged self-help author turned religious zealot, Arel hatches a plan to save the world based on ideas she's discovered in a place where no one else would bother to look—old books.
Scorch, a dystopian novel in the tradition of 1984 and Brave New World, portrays life in a country free of Big Brother government, and in the hard grip of corporate greed. Revealed through the struggles of one character are the myriad ways in which extreme unregulated capitalism starves the human soul.
__
"I acquired this novel, right out of the proverbial slush pile, for Soft Skull Press almost twenty years ago. Two decades later, Scorch isn't satire, it's the news. The person I hired to scan the text was shocked at how prescient Scorch is, and kept sending me links to articles showing that Nauman's predictions are coming true." – Nick Mamatas
Arel works in an adstories department by day and a forgotten "public" library at night. Initially, she believes what everyone else does—that happiness comes with material success. But a disturbing event makes her begin to question her culture's common wisdoms. Pitted against the Corporacracy and a deranged self-help author turned religious zealot, Arel hatches a plan to save the world based on ideas she's discovered in a place where no one else would bother to look—old books.
Scorch, a dystopian novel in the tradition of 1984 and Brave New World, portrays life in a country free of Big Brother government, and in the hard grip of corporate greed. Revealed through the struggles of one character are the myriad ways in which extreme unregulated capitalism starves the human soul.
__
"I acquired this novel, right out of the proverbial slush pile, for Soft Skull Press almost twenty years ago. Two decades later, Scorch isn't satire, it's the news. The person I hired to scan the text was shocked at how prescient Scorch is, and kept sending me links to articles showing that Nauman's predictions are coming true." – Nick Mamatas
ebook
First published May 10, 2001
63 people want to read
About the author
A.D. Nauman
4 books5 followersA.D. Nauman is a literary author and educator in Chicago whose second novel, Down the Steep, will be released in October 2023. Her short fiction has appeared in Chicago Quarterly Review, Willow Springs, TriQuarterly, Roanoke Review, and many other journals. Nauman’s work has been recognized in Best American Short Stories and the Pushcart Prize anthology, produced by Stories on Stage, broadcast on NPR, and granted an Illinois Arts Council Literary Award. Her first novel, Scorch, was recently re-released in an ebook StoryBundle. Now a Midwesterner, Nauman grew up mostly in Tidewater, Virginia.
Visit her at adnauman.com. Order DOWN THE STEEP at https://regal-house-publishing.mybigc...
Visit her at adnauman.com. Order DOWN THE STEEP at https://regal-house-publishing.mybigc...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 28, 2011
Fairly completely realised imagination of a dystopian USA future; somewhat disconcerting to read in the context of the recent past performance of US politics and international policy, especially the introduction and ongoing dissemination of the "Patriot Act", and the ongoing "War to dominate the World's resources while we bankrupt our own economy and oops! the rest of the global market", aka the 'war on terror'.
One can postulate that total domination of the internal population, by using fear and terror aligned to compulsive over-consumption, is a goal the USA has already accomplished - but this tale does take a few steps beyond here-and-now.
Admittedly, it was published in 2001, so I'll give the author some credence for imagination, not merely regurgitating that which is already in the daily papers!
One can postulate that total domination of the internal population, by using fear and terror aligned to compulsive over-consumption, is a goal the USA has already accomplished - but this tale does take a few steps beyond here-and-now.
Admittedly, it was published in 2001, so I'll give the author some credence for imagination, not merely regurgitating that which is already in the daily papers!
April 28, 2013
This book got lost in the shuffle of SOFT SKULL's crazy time. It merits a revival.
November 11, 2010
One of my favorite underground sci-fi books of all time. You'll hate the cover. You'll love the protagonists. She takes two steps back for every three steps forward, and you'll find yourself screaming every time she gives in to the "mainstream," but that's also why you'll love her.
This books is great. Too bad the author has not been given more opportunities. She deserves them.
This books is great. Too bad the author has not been given more opportunities. She deserves them.
January 20, 2008
engaging more for its themes than its prose.
May 15, 2016
very slow and not exciting; no happy ending
June 2, 2010
Read for free online at Wowio.com (http://www.wowio.com/users/product.as...).
Not particularly imaginative.
Not particularly imaginative.
January 24, 2013
I'd rate this a 3.5 if I could. Good writing, and a scary dystopian concept. I really enjoyed it.
February 4, 2014
A silly, vapid fantasy that fancies itself a dystopian possibility while coming across like a satire of the Marxist worldview.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews