Fall Reading 2022 The Ferryman

 

Where to begin? This feels like it could be a typical story about a utopian style city headed for trouble from the lower classes. Situated on an island, Prospera is "entirely beneficent." Unless you happen to be one of the support staff who are forced to live on a neighboring island, the Annex, and brought in to do all the unpleasant and menial tasks. The narrative follows Proctor Bennett who is the titular ferryman. His job is to facilitate the journey of Prosperans who have reached the end of their healthy lifespan and need to journey to the Nursery island. 

But as the book progresses, other threads become more apparent. Is his wife having an affair with their friend? What is going on with the sullen girl that Proctor meets on the beach? What is the new Arrivalist movement among the Annex residents? And the odd word his father mutters before he boards the ferry - Oranios - does anyone know what it means? The more Proctor tries to figure out all the oddities popping up in his life, the more someone else is trying to keep him in the dark or silence him, perhaps permanently. 

It may feel like a slow start, but events pick up pace until you are flipping the pages as quickly as you can to see how it all resolves. And there are some rather mindboggling reveals that cannot even be hinted at without giving too much away and spoiling all the surprises in store.

With vibes of the Star Trek episode "The Cloud Minders," some of the feeling of Logan's Run, and a complex mystery to solve, this book will appeal to readers who enjoy science fiction thrillers. Not due out until May 2023, but after reading an advance copy I needed to pass the word along. Go ahead and put a reminder in your calendar app.