HellSans by Ever Dundas

(Angry Robot Books, 2022)

Reviewed by Phil Nicholls

This is the second novel by Scottish writer Ever Dundas. HellSans features a vision of Britain as a brutal police state, reminding me of Moore’s V for Vendetta, although with a healthy mix of Orwellian propaganda.

The key feature of Dundas’ book is the font Hell Sans, a powerful tool keeping Prime Minister Caddick in control. Simply reading political slogans in Hell Sans gives loyal citizens a strong hit of bliss. However the HSAs, those unfortunates who are Hell Sans Allergic, form an impoverished underclass, scapegoated for all the ills of the dictatorship. Freedom fighters, known as Seraphs, fight back against Caddick’s rule. The Seraphs conduct terrorist attacks and add serifs to Hell Sans text, countering the bliss-inducing effects of the font.

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Review from BSFA Review 19 - Download your copy here.