Barricade is the debut Novel by Jon Wallace, published by Gollancz. It’s the fierce and thrilling tale of a taxi driver in post-apocalypse Britain.
Narrator Kenstibec is a member of the ‘Ficial’ race, a breed of merciless super-humans. Their war on humanity has left Britain a wasteland, where Ficials hide in barricaded cities, besieged by tribes of human survivors. Kenstibec earns his keep driving an armoured taxi, running high-octane sorties from city to city.
The trips are always brutal, but this will be his toughest yet: His guide is trying to kill him. His fare has heavy luggage. And that’s just the start of his troubles…
Covert art by www.blacksheep-uk.com
REVIEWS:
“a scintillating debut…the end of civilisation has seldom been such gruesome fun” – Financial Times
“gleefully macabre…the line between human and artificial minds is blurred pleasingly on this road trip through a ruined Britain” – The Sun
“compelling, fast-paced, and full of action” – The Bookseller
“a bona fide barnstormer of a book…Wallace’s novel is fun from word one, packed with impactful action, and augmented by a brilliantly British—which is to say wicked—sense of humour.” – Tor.com
“A superb, powerful, perfectly-paced debut that I found myself galloping through – clearly a writer we should be keeping an eye on. Hugely recommended.” – Forbidden Planet
“even a machine would find it tough not to enjoy the glee with which Wallace breaks the world apart” – SciFi Now
“If you like your dystopias cranked up to 11 you’ll love this book – 8/10”- Starburst Magazine
“a darkly funny journey and one not to be missed” – SF Book Reviews
“a rare and noteworthy debut indeed” – overtheeffingrainow
“a brilliant new voice in the genre… Barricade needs to be on your list, and Jon Wallace needs to be on your radar” – Reader Dad
“a wildly exciting and often very funny book” – upcoming4me
“The fast paced narrative is a big draw…this is a promising debut.” The Big Issue
“a provocative, nail-biting reader experience.” The Book Plank
“stark, uncompromising science fiction that grabs you by the throat and refuses to let go.” theeloquentpage
“wonderfully constructed…a very accomplished first novel.” sci-fi-online
“dark…deadpan funny…and full of drama.” geeknative
“brilliant characters and a fantastically well executed plot.” bookgeeksays
“a well written apocalyptic tale that brings us a whole new (and terrifying) vision of Britain.” nerdlikeyou
Buy Barricade:
Jon
Having just spent the better part of my Saturday gulping down BARRICADE, I have to say it was genuinely brilliant. Now to get my hands on STEEPLE and repeat the process!! Thank you for a completely fresh bit of sci to. Am I the only one who found themselves rooting for Fatty? I have to doubt that. What a strange and wonderful pair of reluctant teammates K and Fatty turn out to be. What can I say? I LOVED this book.
So looking forward to anything you publish in the future. Thank you again for doing what you do.
Cheers
Rogeriniowa
Hey Roger
So pleased you enjoyed Barricade, thanks for writing to let me know. Glad you enjoyed the dynamic between Fatty and K, I have always had a soft spot for odd couple friendships and theirs is certainly odd. You are DEFINITELY cool to root for Fatty: he can be a scumbag, but a likable scumbag. Hope you enjoy Steeple too. Book 3, the last part in the Kenstibec series, is out in Trade Paperback in June 2016. Keep an eye on the site for details – and thanks again for your comment, it’s a Real pleasure to hear from you.
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