Hyped as 1984 for our age, this tale delivers like a velvet sledgehammer – the characters are gentle and happy and the society they inhabit is both utopia and dystopia. The ‘fat years’ of the title refers to a China that has survived a global economic meltdown, and in doing so has risen to its rightful place as the world’s leading superpower. Everyone has everything they need. The inhabitants of this China are satisfied and their (unexamined) lives appear perfect. Fortunately, our protagonists examine their lives, and behind the exterior of this perfect society, a nightmare is revealed.

*The Fat Year*s will probably never be published in China. It describes a state where mind-control, crackdowns, surveillance and censorship by the Party-State are routine, but where no one seems to mind. Everyone is happy, and the massacres of the past have been forgotten. The story revolves around a 28-day period at the start of this ‘Age of Ascendancy’ which has disappeared entirely. Opening in first-person, the tale draws us right into the comfort of this perfect world, while introducing characters who don’t count themselves among the inexplicably happy. Part Two shifts to a disturbing third- person narrative that feels like it’s observed through the eyes of Big Brother.

The Fat Years is chilling. This political thriller warns of the dangers of complacency, delivering its one-two punch through cunning use of point-of-view and parable-like storytelling. The characters are fascinating and well-drawn and reflect a broad range of Chinese society; their search for the ugly truth behind the glittering facade makes for compelling and very illuminating reading.

Ed Moreno is from Readings Malvern