Random Acts of Senseless Violence
 First edition (UK) | |
| Author | Jack Womack |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Series | "Dryco" series[1] |
| Genre | Speculative fiction, dystopian novel |
| Publisher | HarperCollins (UK) Atlantic Monthly Press (US)[2] |
Publication date | October 1993 (UK) September 1994 (US)[2] |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages | 256 |
| ISBN | 0-246-13850-5 |
| Preceded by | Elvissey |
| Followed by | Going, Going, Gone |
Random Acts of Senseless Violence is a dystopian and speculative fiction novel by Jack Womack.[3]
Plot introduction
[edit]The novel is told in the form of a fictional diary by the 12-year-old protagonist Lola Hart, and details Lola and her family's experiences in a near-future Manhattan in which violence, rising unemployment, and riots are commonplace in the city, as well as the rest of the United States.[3] As the novel progresses, Lola transforms from a student at one of Manhattan's most privileged private schools to a street-wise gangster as she and her family struggle to survive the despair of a crumbling government and economy.[3]
Critical reception
[edit]The book did not attract significant attention on release; though there were a few reviews, it was not nominated for any awards even though Womack's previous work, Elvissey, won the prestigious Philip K. Dick Award and was shortlisted for the Locus Award.[4] In a July 2008 article for Tor.com, Jo Walton decried the critical neglect of the work.[4] Walton speculated that its lack of prominence was due to its initial low-key reception, the "singularly appalling" cover art of the early editions, a title that was "off-putting" and misleading, and its disconnect from the zeitgeist of the time, which was focused on cyberpunk and space opera.[4] She was echoed by fellow science fiction author Cory Doctorow, who described the work as "an unflinching, engrossing, difficult coming-of-age story" and referred to it as "Womack's underappreciated masterpiece".[5] William Gibson described it as the book he thinks is most underrated.[6]
Publication history
[edit]- 1993, UK, HarperCollins, ISBN 0-246-13850-5, Pub date October 1993, Hardback
- 1994, US, Atlantic Monthly Press, ISBN 0-87113-577-9, Pub date September 1994, Hardback
- 1994, UK, HarperCollins, ISBN 0-586-21320-1, Pub date October 1994, Paperback
- 1995, US, Grove Press, ISBN 0-8021-3424-6, Pub date October 1995, Paperback
- 2013, UK, Gollancz, ISBN 978-0-575-13230-6, Pub date October 2013, Paperback
References
[edit]- ^ Di Filippo, Paul (March 19, 2001). "Going, Going, Gone". SCI FI Weekly. Archived from the original on October 14, 2008. Retrieved October 2, 2008.
- ^ a b c isfdb
- ^ a b c Siegel, Robert (January 11, 1995). "REVIEW OF 'RANDOM ACTS OF SENSELESS VIOLENCE'". All Things Considered. NPR.
HOST:New York City in the very near future is the setting for a new novel by science fiction writer, Jack Womack. The book is called Random Acts of Senseless Violence. It traces the evolution of a privileged, 12-year-old, Manhattan school girl from innocence to experience against the background of a crumbling city. Alan Cheuse has this review ALAN CHEUSE, Critic: Lola Hart [sp] attends Briarly, one of the poshest of Manhattan's private schools.
- ^ a b c Walton, Jo (July 25, 2008). "Random Acts of Senseless Violence: Why isn't it a classic of the field?". Tor.com. Archived from the original on February 12, 2021. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
- ^ Doctorow, Cory (July 25, 2008). "Jack Womack's underappreciated masterpiece, "Random Acts of Senseless Violence"". Boing Boing. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
- ^ "William Gibson: 'I read Naked Lunch when it was still quasi-illicit'". TheGuardian.com. January 2021.