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Review: Big Time – Jordan Prosser (UQP)
Jordan Prosser’s debut novel,
Big Time, is a time-travelling, mind-bending
love letter to art and creativity, set in a dystopian near future. It looks to
the power of storytelling and asks: what difference can it possibly make?
In the autocratic Federal Republic of East Australia, music, science and
political expression are policed with the threat of labour camps and execution.
Julian Freeman is the bass player of The Acceptables, who were catapulted to
stardom on the back of their breakout, inoffensive-pop first album, titled
“Artificial Beaches on Every Mountain / Artificial Mountains on Every Beach”.
He returns to Melbourne after a year abroad for the recording of their second.
On the flight home, he first encounters the drug “F”, which allows the user a
glimpse into the future. Most people see short distances ahead, depending on
their tolerance: hours, maybe days. But, our narrator tells us, “Rumour says,
with enough F, you can see to the end of time.”
Once home, Julian reunites with the band and its entourage: Ash, the heartthrob
lead singer and his girlfriend (and Julian’s ex) Oriana; lead guitarist Xander
and his little brother, Pony, who dreams of taking Julian’s place; Tammy on
drums, who everyone underestimates; Skinner the manager with a dodgy past; and
Wesley, the music reviewer who’s telling us this story.
The recording of the new album and its subsequent tour don’t go so well. Ash
has written a manifesto blatantly at odds with the state’s cultural regime and
refuses to accept any input from the rest of the band. And an intoxicating mix
of drugs, booze and all those little glimpses of the future see old grudges and
simmering conflicts rise to the surface – threatening to ruin their gigs and
put their very lives at risk.
Meanwhile, there’s the discovery of the Anomaly, the first of many Extreme
Coincidences that sparks a series of increasingly bizarre chronological
disturbances. Is time coming off the rails? Or is it all in our collective
heads?"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
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mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
