Adventures in Dystopia

Adventures in Dystopia

ADVENTURES IN DYSTOPIA plots the ups and downs in the improbably interconnected lives of six individuals—three rich, three poor—spanning three continents. Please meet: KORO, an illiterate housekeeper trying to keep body and soul together in post-war Côte d’Ivoire, while being stalked by a sadistic gangster. She works for COLIN, a shy conservationist, dedicated to saving one of West Africa’s last remaining parks, while suppressing painful memories with booze. He supports SUNIL, a clever but dirt-poor Delhi teenager, hoping to find a wife, become India’s next billionaire, and solve the mystery of his mother's death. He is scamming KELLY, a young American evangelist saving souls in the slums of India, blogging along the way. Her aunt is MONIQUE, an up-tight development banker, dead set on a promotion and convincing everyone that she gives a crap about the poor. She has the misfortune to meet JUAN, a taxi driver, petty thief, and wife-beater, hoping to keep his son from following the same path. "... [A]n intimate, intercontinental voyage through a series of disparate lives." Sellen's debut novel interweaves a series of vignettes from across the globe to create a broad diorama of modern-day culture clashes. ...These stories in turn branch out to incorporate an impressively varied, realistic cast of characters. All walks of life are represented, but mostly, as hinted by the title, the tales develop from the desperation generated within impoverished lands. -- Kirkus Reviews "A rich patchwork of global perspectives provides a dizzying bird's-eye view of class divisions." This largely realistic study of people and culture illustrates the extent of globalization, how interconnected the world has become, and how even worldly people can retain provincial prejudices. ... Wealth and poverty are major themes here, and watching characters of different socioeconomic situations interact is fascinating. ... It is an interesting and worthwhile read for anyone interested in globalization or the developing world.-- Clarion Reviews "Mr. Sellen has given us a story here that is indeed worth knowing. ... All of the men and women of the novel round out to bring forth human endeavor in such a rare full way that the pages feel like a gift. It is a great accomplishment to write a page turner that makes you think. Daniel Sellen has done it. Tinged with humor and worry, it is the full package."-- Rebecca's Reads DANIEL SELLEN works and blogs for a Washington, DC-based international financial institution, and has lived the last ten years in India, Côte d'Ivoire, and Colombia. He holds a Masters in Anthropology and a PhD in Agricultural Economics. He lives in Bogotá.