GOLDEN STATE

By Ben H. Winters

Mulholland Books, Issued in 2019

336 Pages

ISBN-13:  978-0316505413

$28.00 Hardcover

Also available as an e-book

I first became an admirer of Ben H. Winters when I read his 2011 novel Bedbugs.  He has a gift for finding horror in the human condition, and using the physical setting as metaphor.

Golden State does not disappoint.  Mr. Winters’ latest dystopian fiction is set in the future, in a place resembling Los Angeles.  Small lies — even efforts at creativity — are treated as felonies, and the population must live with the consequences of being “honest” at all times.

But what’s honesty and what’s the real truth?  How did artists become regarded as liars? you might ask.  Read the book to determine what we can understand, or better yet, how understanding stays out of reach.

I won’t say any more, except to emphasize that Golden State is a compelling read which will keep you thinking.