The Pustoy

by Philippe Blenkiron

Britain, in the mid 21st century.

A new prime minister, Lev Solokov is elected. In spite of his Russian surname, he is the charismatic politician who, on the surface, appears to be just what Britain needs.

But he’s not what Gavin needs. Gavin is a Pustoy, a human who, among countless others, Solokov’s researchers has declared a soulless, subhuman race. Solokov joins a dark lineage of genocidal tyrants that have gone before him. In synthesizing his own race to persecute others, perhaps he has succeeded in a horror more insidious than any of his forebears, especially as he appears to have done so with both overhwhelming public blessing and encouragement.

Or at least he would have, if not for the increasing din of the Pustoy protesting outside his offices. Chosen at random owing to his position as a forefront campaigner for the rights of the Pustoy, Gavin is framed for a crime he didn’t commit and is forced to go on the run, and so Solokov in one fell swoop kills any budding sympathy the people may have had for the Pustoy, and would appear to have silenced one of his loudest protestors.

Just who are the Pustoy of this world? The persecutors or the persecuted? Will Gavin remain a hunted scapegoat? Is Solokov acting for the greater good; are the Pustoy really devoid of a soul? More importantly, how far away is this future, really?

Phillipe Blenkiron’s conceptual poetry collection demands these questions of the reader, whilst offering an unflinching examination of the human psyche, exploring the clouded moral hues between black and white, between right and wrong, that exist inside all of us.

For fans of "1984", "Brave New World", and other greats of dystopian fiction, Philippe Blenkiron's debut poetry collection is shocking, unsettling, and closer to real-life than we dare admit...

Genres: Poetry

62 pages, Paperback

First published May 29, 2014

Reviews

[J.S. Collyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fantastic collection of writing, with a truly inspired method of delivery. The poetry meant we got only glimpses of the reality, but it was all that was needed. Your mind filled in all the terrible gaps in the narrative and painted an entire backdrop effortlessly.

The tragedy and action and thought-provoking concepts kept me hooked until the end. Recommend highly to fans of scifi, dystopia and hard-hitting fiction alike.

[Dennis Villelmi · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the realm of narrative poetry, the majority of the Muse's blessings are spoken of past tense. More rarely now do we see a work of poetic storytelling that has such a power to provoke both thought and feelings of apprehension and fright. In Philippe Blenkiron's "The Pustoy" we have just such a work. Dystopian, as well as philosophical, it is a tale told in the language of the Muse that borders, wonderfully and terrifyingly, on the history that is far from fiction. (Remember Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot and company.) It tells of a futuristic Britain where the dividing line is "scientifically" in origin; rather, it's science distorted for the sake of creating scapegoats, the all too familiar recipe of despotism. The scapegoats in question are "the pustoy," those whom "science" has proven to be devoid of the human soul and thus ineligible for the rights allotted to their counterparts.
Here, we have all the ingredients of an Orwellian narrative: we have privileged and persecuted; we have blind obedience and the assertion of conscience; and we have a newly elected British PM/dictator with a menacingly Russian name to boot. It's skillfully written, and finely published (another high mark for Dagda Publishing). It was for me a real
delightful and delightfully disturbing descent into a dystopia that may not be far from the reality ahead. Definitely worth several reads!!!

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Prescott with the face of Putin ... His policies were no more radical than any of the usual blue, red or yellow drivel’

The Pustoy’s dark dystopian world is terrifyingly engaging. The key mover and shaker in this collection Lev Solokov marches through the prose crushing characters in his path. His rise to power as PM starts the beginning of a terrifying journey through the streets, and minds of his helpless public. Each page grips you with a sense of unease, yet compels you to continue reading.


Read this collection, read it twice, tell everyone.

[Andrea Hinchey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fantastic collection of prose expertly creates a dystopian World for us the readers to get lost in. Every aspect of prose is explored here from the protagonists own views to the World around him. We are subjected to a dark dictatorial witch hunt that will chill you to the bone while highlighting the faults of those in power. The language use is utterly yummy and the characterisation is flawless.

I would recommend this blummin good narrative to sci fi fans, dystopian fans and heck any who just enjoy a blummin good read. To see my full review please go to www.akhinchey.wordpress.com.

[Kelly Smith Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I wonder, unwound toy
if they buried your turn-key
somewhere near you.
Because
I would like to hold it.
I miss the sounds you make."

I'm a huge poetry fan. I read it, I write it and I've noticed that it is really quite unappreciated in the days of the erotic short story and paranormal YA novels. Poetry is a pure and beautiful art form that was taken to another level by Dagda Publishing's Philippe Blenkiron with his poetic debut The Pustoy.

The new British Prime Minister, Lev Solokov, had declared a portion of the human race soulless and killed many of them. He calls them The Pustoy. But Gavin, of the alleged soulless, doesn't like the new political regime.
Solokov frames Gavin for murder, but, in this brave new world, just who is the truly soulless one?

In just 62 pages the reader is taken on a poetic journey into a world that, frighteningly, could be our own one day. Solokov's reign is similar to Hitler's in Germany, but possibly becomes even worse.
It's a political epic poem that makes you want to read and read. You'll be sorry when this story ends. It flows like water. The lines I posted at the top are my favorites and are there simply to give you a hint at the chaotic beauty that is The Pustoy.

5/5--amazing!

[Andrew Banks · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating piece of work that transports the reader to a dark dystopian world, not too far stretched from our own, which makes it all the more terrifying. It exposes the flaws of those in power and our will to blindly follow with chilling precision. Not only that, it gets better each time you read it. A must for all bookshelves.

[Mii · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great read!