"Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits" by Jason Pargin (David Wong) follows Zoey Ashe, a barista living in a trailer park who unexpectedly inherits her billionaire father's criminal financial empire. As Zoey navigates through a chaotic city filled with dangerous factions vying for control and a villain with a god complex, she finds herself in a whirlwind of violence, humor, and improbable technologies. The narrative balances humor with nail-biting tension, showcasing Zoey's transformation from a directionless and afraid protagonist to a sharp and angry heroine who must outwit those trying to capture or kill her.
The story is set in a near-future world where technology and social media reign supreme, portraying a society where individuals constantly broadcast their lives. The plot unfolds with Zoey facing off against menacing foes, including the villain Molech, and grappling with the responsibilities of her newfound wealth and power. With elements of humor, violence, and social commentary, the book offers a fast-paced and entertaining read, blending snarky humor with intense action sequences and a touch of absurdity.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
The book contains themes of violence, including graphic depictions of violence and mentions of sexual threats.
From The Publisher:
A Winner of the 2016 Alex Awards
Nightmarish villains with superhuman enhancements.
An all-seeing social network that tracks your every move.
Mysterious, smooth-talking power players who lurk behind the scenes.
A young woman from the trailer park.
And her very smelly cat.
Together, they will decide the future of mankind.
Get ready for a world in which anyone can have the powers of a god or the fame of a pop star, in which human achievement soars to new heights while its depravity plunges to the blackest depths. A world in which at least one cat smells like a seafood shop's dumpster on a hot summer day.
This is the world in which Zoey Ashe finds herself, navigating a futuristic city in which one can find elements of the fantastic, nightmarish and ridiculous on any street corner. Her only trusted advisor is the aforementioned cat, but even in the future, cats cannot give advice. At least not any that you'd want to follow.
Will Zoey figure it all out in time? Or maybe the better question is, will you? After all, the future is coming sooner than you think.
Ratings (26)
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Loved It (11) | |
Liked It (5) | |
It Was OK (4) |
Reader Stats (44):
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1 comment(s)
I don't know what's going on inside David Wong's head, but the books he writes are just amazing. His imagination, his sense of humor, his take on where technology will lead us, all of it is wonderful and so entertaining.
Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits is set about a generation, maybe two, from now. The protagonist, Zoey Ashe, is a poor 22-year old barista living with her mother in a trailer park when she finds out her father, who abandoned them before her birth, has died. And someone with tricked out metallic jaws and teeth is stalking her. And her father's associates are trying to save her, maybe. And in the city of Tabula Ra$a (actual spelling), Zoey finds that the social media we know today has exploded into an insane phenomena known as the Blink. Anyone can get a Blink camera, and it provides a live upload of whatever it's looking at. Anyone can watch what you are doing all day long, if you leave your blink camera on. And in Tabula Rasa, people are getting famous off of this, to the point where villains commit crimes partially to up their popularity on Blink. When it is discovered that Zoey's father was creating technology that could give people superpowers, the entire city watches the disaster unfold like it's a reality TV show, instead of actual reality. This is such a great comment on reality TV and social media that I don't even know.
Then there's Zoey, who is amazing. All of the characters are amazing, and I hope this continues as a series so we can see more of them, but Zoey is just the best. Foul-mouthed, unashamed, determined to make her own way, Zoey basically gives no fucks. She hated her father and hates being involved in his post-mortem affairs. When assassins uploading to the Blink attack her, she makes fun of them on camera, spoiling the story for their fans. She isn't super strong, super smart, or super (traditionally) beautiful. She just keeps on going, doing her best to keep herself, her cat, and her mother safe. And she is such a smart-ass while she does it.
This is a goldmine of a book, addressing so many issues. This would actually be a great book club book, and everyone at book club would be saying "do you remember this part? Wasn't this awesome? Can you believe when he said that?" and generally having a great time.
What can you read after
Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits?
About the Author:
DAVID WONG is the pseudonym of Jason Pargin, New York Times bestselling author of the John Dies at the End series as well as the award-winning Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits. His essays at Cracked.com have been read by tens of millions of people around the world. The second book in the Zoey Ashe series, ZOEY PUNCHES THE FUTURE IN THE DICK: A Novel, was published in October 2020.
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