Rate My Blurb: Flying Ant Day

Tricky things to write, blurbs. Trying to condense multi thousand word novels into a couple of hundred? That’s not easy. But I put mine up for your perusal and look forward to any criticism or complements you send my way:

FLYING ANT DAY by Jon Lymon

It’s 2030, and junior eco-warrior extremists are a year into their first term as the government of the First World - formerly known as Northern Europe.

Elected on a promise to put the needs of a dying planet before the wellbeing of its people, their Directives are turning the screw on the mental and physical health of the populace, all in the name of saving Earth.

Drones have been assigned to every home to monitor the behaviour of occupants. Destroying these robot lodgers or leaving home without their permission are both strictly prohibited and punishable by instant Removal, a mysterious process which sees the guilty simply disappear.

Among those confined to his apartment is Kent Sanderson, a 50-something writer who initially enjoyed his time with his attentive home drone. But a year into the new regime, and with a recent Directive forcing him to give up his beloved pet dog, like the rest of the population, Kent is reaching his wit’s end.

Conscious of a swelling undercurrent of unrest across the First World, the government shows leniency by arranging a day in which everyone must leave their homes and taste freedom. Participation is compulsory.

Like millions of others, Kent arranges to meet up with friends on the day - dubbed Freedom For All Day. But when one fails to show up and an unexpected, unwelcome guest arrives instead, Kent starts to question the real purpose of the day, which for him turns into a manhunt during which he must come to terms with his past, fight for his future, and uncover the chilling truth behind Removals and the youth-led government that now rules his and millions of other lives.