Northline.Northline Michael Barley Imago imago /ima·go/ (i-ma´go) pl. ima´goes, ima´gines [L.] 1. the adult or definitive form of an insect. 2. a usually idealized, unconscious mental image of a key person in one's early life. Press 3710 East Edison, Tucson, AZ 85716-2912 0972530363 $19.95 452 pages 1-520-327-0540 Written and illustrated by Michael Barley, "Northline" a dystopian dys·to·pi·an adj. 1. Of or relating to a dystopia. 2. Dire; grim: "AIDS is one of the dystopian harbingers of the global village" Susan Sontag. Adj. novel of intrigue, mystery, espionage, politics and romance in the year 2056. Timothy Loag is a railroad mechanic turned itinerant preacher, a man with a grudge against his former employer--the Northline Railroad and its toxic fumes that caused the deaths of timothy's father and brother. Guided by Indian spirits from his dreams, Timothy aims to destroy the megalithic meg·a·lith n. A very large stone used in various prehistoric architectures or monumental styles, notably in western Europe during the second millennium b.c. railroad corporation and its control over life in North America. The satellite controlled, 30-mile-long supertrains of the Northline railroads haul refuse and toxic waste to dump into the arctic regions of the tundra (in what was originally Canada but had become new states and regional districts merged with the USA). The railroad right-of-way has become a toxin-saturated strip of land that people cannot work or live near unless poverty leaves them no alternative. Highly recommended, thoughtful and entertaining, "Northline" is a superbly crafted and original novel of the near future, one of that class of fiction that provides "what if" scenarios if current trends with respect to pollution and "Corporate America" are allowed to run unchecked. Readers who appreciated Michael Barley's storytelling skills and originality will also enjoy his science fiction novel Jackal jackal, name for several Old World carnivorous mammals of the genus Canis, which also includes the dog and the wolf. Jackals are found in Africa and S Asia, where they inhabit deserts, grasslands, and brush country. Bird (Tesseract Books, 1995) and his novella novella: see novel. novella Story with a compact and pointed plot, often realistic and satiric in tone. Originating in Italy during the Middle Ages, it was often based on local events; individual tales often were gathered into collections. , "Woman in the Wood" (Seven Days in December This article or section needs sources or references that appear in reliable, third-party publications. Alone, primary sources and sources affiliated with the subject of this article are not sufficient for an accurate encyclopedia article. , Imago Press, 2002). |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion