SFF

Arch-Conspirator

by Veronica Roth
Tor. Feb. 2023. 128p. ISBN 9781250855466. $19.99. SF
COPY ISBN
Roth (Poster Girl) takes the ancient story of Antigone, daughter of Oedipus, and blasts it into a dystopian future, where there is one last habitable city left on Earth that is ruled by the tyrant Kreon. As the children of the previous ruler, Antigone and her siblings are virtual prisoners of Kreon and are reviled because their parents flouted the laws that surround reproduction. In their society, genetic diversity is shrinking, and ambient radiation must be gene spliced out of every fetus. The bodies of women are protected to the point of fetishization because they can bear young and continue the species. Kreon believes that his position is untouchable, so he rewrites the laws and sentences Antigone to death. But Antigone doesn’t care about her own life—only that she can use it to bring Kreon down.

CORRECTION: This review originally misspelled Kreon’s name.

VERDICT Roth uses the familiar tale of Antigone as a vehicle to tell a story about desperation, hubris, tyranny, and revolution. Combined with the dystopian setting of the dying planet and the tyrannical rule of the surviving city state, the story gives readers a heroine to root for, a despot to revile, and a thought-provoking ending.
Reviewed by Marlene Harris , Nov 01, 2022
Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

FICTION

The Sky on Fire
by Lyons, Jenn
FICTION

Navigational Entanglements
by de Bodard, Aliette
FICTION

The Runes of Engagement
by Buckell, Tobias S. & Dave Klecha
FICTION

Lady Eve’s Last Con
by Fraimow, Rebecca
FICTION

These Deathless Shores
by Low, P.H
FICTION

The Fallen Fruit
by Madison, Shawntelle
More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?