Carreu’s novel holds up a mirror to our highly polarized world. In Mundanity, people are treated differently because of their skin color. Cops are rewarded for “slaughtering violet skinned Sinopians,” activists are pejoratively labeled as “Warriors of Justice” by “traditionalists,” and corporations funnel money into political campaigns to secure their own interests. Amidst all this, Patelo and his friends band together to garner support for mayoral candidate Ike Olatunji, a purple-skinned woman from an immigrant family, who is contesting against Clancy Sullivan–a green-skinned (which in this case is the Mundanity majority) former stand up comic, a “traditionalist” who espouses controversial views on equal rights and social justice. (“First off, there is no such thing as transgenderism”, he says in a debate.)
The novel lays out for itself the challenging task of evoking wonder by building a distinctly alien world, while also engaging with familiar themes, to mirror the socio-political reality of contemporary times. Science-fiction devotees will likely find Carreau is not consistent in achieving this balance, often burdening the narrative with details of the political context at the expense of world building. Still, in the instances where he does achieve this balance, the novel delivers an engaging narrative, filled with complex and colorful characters inhabiting a strange new world. Readers will be left eager to know more about this alien planet and its inhabitants.
Takeaway: This ambitious novel mirrors our contemporary politics on an alien world.
Great for fans of: Nick Mamatas, Paul Tremblay’s Swallowing a Donkey's Eye.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: B+
