HellSans by Ever Dundas (Angry Robot, £9.99)
That one person’s heaven can be another’s hell is brilliantly and graphically depicted in this novel set in a near-future Britain. Smartphones have been replaced by a cyborg combo of lovable pet and telepathic personal assistant called the Inex, and the general population is in a near-constant state of bliss induced by a sans serif typeface used on all signage and in written words. But for a minority, instead of ecstasy, the HellSans font causes severe allergic reactions that include vomiting, peeling skin and copious bleeding. HellSans Allergics (HSAs) are forced into ghettoes, supposedly for their own protection, but mainly to spare the feelings of the blissed-out majority, who are encouraged to hate them as deviants and potential terrorists. Even to talk of a possible cure is dangerous, and when Dr Icho Smith develops one, she finds herself tortured and threatened with death. This is a violent and compelling thriller, fuelled by real anger and compassion, with far more psychological and moral complexity than the general run of dystopian fiction.
