Outside: An Exceptional Dystopian Thriller Set in the Near Future
In the first installment of Aaron Gransby’s The Phoenix Series, Outside takes readers to near-future London, where the economic powerhouse of the City dominates the nation. When journalist Rory Kennet is asked by a friend to investigate the disappearance of a civil servant, little did he appreciate the life-changing repercussions of his seemingly innocuous good deed.
Set in a near-future society that we can all recognize, Outside is a pacy and thought-provoking read. With echoes of previous injustices in both our own country and others close to home, it combines the past and present to paint a picture of a disturbing but all too plausible future, surprisingly wrapped up in a very readable thriller.
Fast-paced and immersive, the author’s decision to use London (where he was born), St Albans (where he now lives), Harrow, and Watford as the backdrop to his first novel adds authenticity to his dystopian tale, which also doubles up as a thought-provoking observation on the perilous path that Society seems to be following.
Previously an award-winning local newspaper editor, this debut author skillfully demonstrates that he knows how to pique and maintain a reader’s attention, and if the sequel she is planning is of the same caliber as this first novel, a long and successful literary career awaits.
The economic powerhouse of The City dominates the nation. Those lucky enough to be born Citizens live a gilded life, working hard four days a week and playing harder for the other three, whilst the nation is ruthlessly governed like a business. Journalist Rory Kennet has always felt slightly apart from life inside the electronic walls and finds himself banished to the Outside when, on behalf of a friend, he begins to investigate the mysterious Removal of a blameless civil servant. As Rory adjusts to his new life he vows to discover and expose the truth behind The City’s Removals policy. But as he set out on his quest, he had no idea that what he was to find out would shed new light on his whole existence.
The author says: “My writing is driven by feelings of isolation, abandonment, anxiety, and loss – all life’s high points. “Outside will be followed by Destination, a collection of short stories on a similar theme and a follow-up to Outside is also in preparation. “I am also pleased to say that the jacket of my novel is by renowned artist and printmaker, John Duffin.”
Independently published, Outside is available in paperback and Kindle format on Amazon. A limited edition hardback is also available, directly from the author’s website (www.aarongransby.com). It can also be ordered through Waterstones.com.
About the author: Aaron Gransby is a journalist, award-winning newspaper editor, and magazine publisher. He is a product of suburbia – London’s Metroland – which can be either a comfortable, middle-class, idyllic place or a series of soulless, dull housing developments holding apart two ring roads, depending upon your point of view. He has seen both sides, living his early years in a typical, three-bedroomed semi-detached house before spending the remainder of his childhood until he left home at 18 on a succession of council estates. His fascinating debut novel, Outside, works on different levels as both a highly readable dystopian thriller and a comment on the way our society is heading which goes much deeper. The society he describes is informed both by his own experiences and his confessed ambiguous feelings about the world we live in now.