A Clockwork Printer

In Stona Fitch's alternative reality/dystopian vision/post-apocalyptic novel the citizens of the city live in constant fear of the Black Wind, a poisonous smog which kills anyone caught outside when it descends upon the city. And not everyone is fortunate enough to be afforded shelter. Guards walk the streets and ensure that only those with the correct authority have access to safe houses or oxygen when the warning lights move from green to red to black.

Ian is safe as he works for one of the printer's guilds. His official work, texting and working the presses, gives him a haven from the pollution outside. But his unofficial role as conduit for the Opposition and part-time burgular for the guild leaves him more open to danger.

Fitch has created a bleak and disturbing tale. Part paranoid Philip K Dick, part Clockwork Orange. Right from the opening torture scene you are knocked sideways and never really given the chance to recover. Ian's work becomes more dangerous and the people he is working with more unhinged. Any sensible chap would jack it all in but Ian is in love with Melina, a beautiful woman with the mind of a child, and he is saving enough money to flee the city with her, but as the authorities, the rival guild and the black wind draw ever closer he may have to make a run for it sooner than he thought.

The key to any book like this is to create a fictional world complete with its own rules, regulations, traditions and slang without asking the reader to do too much work. Over-fill the story with an invented language, syntax or philosophy and only the hardcore enthusiast will follow you all the way. Fitch balances things nicely and certainly marks himself out as a writer to watch.

Printer's Devil is published by a small Scottish publisher by the name of Two Ravens Press. Don't be put off by the dodgy cover (sorry!), this is actually something worth investigating. Stona Fitch is himself the founder of the Concord Free Press, a frankly fantastic notion. Concord publishes books and then gives them away for free, asking readers to make a donation to any charity they choose and then pass the book on so that someone else can do the same. Fucking genius.

I hope to interview Stona about his work as both writer and publisher in the near future. Just got to read another of his books first.

Comments

[DJ Kirkby]

I was all set to buy a copy of Printer's Devil but the bit about Ian being in love with Melina, a beautiful woman with the mind of a child, put me off a bit. That just seems wrong somehow. I expect it isn't, I've enjoyed other books reccomended by you but it did make me think twice.

[Scott Pack]

Oh, there is a lot in this book that will throw people off balance. That's what I like about it. Am in the middle of another of his books, Give + Take and that is even better.

[Sharon Blackie]

We'll be publishing the UK paperback version of 'Give and Take' next spring, just as the US hardback comes out. (The Concord Free Press version is out of print now.) But to me, Stona's 'Senseless' is one of the best things we've ever published. Even with a cover recommendation by Nobel Prize Winner JM Coetzee, the UK media ignored it when it came out last August. A bit too disturbing, perhaps? (From Sharon Blackie, Two Ravens Press)

[Scott Pack]

Thanks Sharon. I will finish Give + Take later today and it is a splendid read so far so great to hear it will receive a wider publication over here.

[Paul]

When you do a search for Stona Fitch on Amazon it asks if you meant Story Witch ......Can't see Give and Take listed yet, isn't it oot yet?Oops, better click the url....

[Lee]

Here's my review of Stona's Give & Take for your readers to check out:

http://lowebrow.blogspot.com/2009/01/give-take.html