NORMANDY, France, Nov. 7, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- This soft-science fiction thriller presents a vision of a future world which, unlike George Orwell's, is governed by non-violence, respect for the environment, consensus and social harmony. Beneath this tranquil surface, however, there is an undercurrent of anger and rejection.
"The Destruct Rule" (available from 1stBooks Library) is a story of despair and vicious political revolt, but also of love, human warmth and loyalty, in a 24th Century setting in which the average life span extends well beyond 100, and strict limits are thus imposed on the time anyone is allowed to work and produce anything of value. Guidi, an astronomer whose last job had been to track an asteroid, and who by mid-life has already squandered his work-time allowance, cannot adjust to the regimentation and forced inactivity that awaits him.
After a violent breakdown, he is condemned to personality deconstruction, but is helped to escape and becomes unwittingly involved in a conspiracy to overturn the existing order. In time he learns that his breakdown had been deliberately provoked by the conspirators, who needed him as a stand-in for one of their former leaders. Ultimately, however, Guidi finds his peace as a sculptor in a remote mountain village, although he knows that short of a miracle his work will not be allowed to survive him.
This peace is shattered when, after a violent takeover, the conspirators institute a reign of terror that touches some of Guidi's closest friends. The plot reaches boiling point when Guidi joins a powerful counter-revolt to overthrow the conspirators. After this succeeds and the old order of harmony and nonviolence is reinstated, Guidi can prove that he had been a victim of deceit, and is given a chance to resume his old identity. He hesitates, but agrees -- as an exception to the Destruct Rule -- to help recalculate the trajectory of the asteroid he had once been tracking, and which has unexpectedly shifted to a possible collision course with Earth.
The author, Peter Koenz, is a lawyer, international official, and scholar. He resides in rural Normandy and travels widely in Europe, Asia and the Americas. Besides writing fiction, he also applies himself to painting and sculpture. Other books he has written include "Pacifica," and, in 2001, "The Parrot Tree" and "The Ancestor" (both available from 1stBooks Library).
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