Joining the network of Dystopian authors has opened a door to some stimulating literary connections. Say hello to Courtney Ruggles, the author of The Domicile series. The Sixth Domicile, the first book in the series, is a tale of rebellion against a tyrannical regime.
Synopsis:
In a future ravaged by greed and war, The Domicile has emerged. A new civilization governed by clandestine Elders where citizens are united by white masks and uniform identities. To remove one’s mask, to go outside the Domicile, to show defiance, means being sent to the Meurtre, a horrifying death sentence.
My thoughts:
Any time there is an alternate Dystopian universe, the author is faced with the challenge of feeding the background information to the author without making any of the characters sound like token commentators aka "talking heads". Courtney Ruggles does a fine job creating a believable Dystopian universe while covering up the seams. As with any tyrannic totalitarian regime, there are those who support it ardently, those who tolerate it begrudgingly, and those who rebel against it.
Based from the premise of all individuals being forced to wear uniform masks, regardless of the individual features underneath, I can tell that the author must have watched Pink Floyd's "The Wall" and "Eyes Wide Shut". There is something infinitely horrifying about a static form covering human features. And yet, the characters, whose names are reduced to a combination of letters and numbers, still manage to fall in love. Developing feelings for someone without seeing his/her face is similar two two blind people falling in love. At the same time, when people are forced to wear uniforms or masks, they have to work harder to make their essence shine through. There is certain energy that artificially imposed veneers cannot contain.
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