So much weird fiction these days is too lovecraftian, or in trying to be lovecraftian it becomes a copy of everything that came before. This, however, is on point with Victor LaValle or Matt Ruff in terms of originality, prose, and story. I will be thinking about and rereading this for a long time

a very fun little book for fans of dystopian worlds and climate fiction from a new voice. really enjoyed the surrealism in this work as well as the setting and character arcs. striking cover as well that seems to sell well!

The plot isn't much a plot but B's experiences in this rig - his view of this place starts with his bunk mate and slowly spores from there. The rig is claustrophobic, and without a direct way to communicate with the outside world, the walls of the rooms seem closer and the smell, stronger. While reporting this report, he is also going through a private meltdown involving his marriage, the book he wrote trying to find his father and his insecurities flaring up as a writer.

Thank you to Netgalley for this arc! I appreciate the privilege of reading it and experiencing the world the author has created!

Babak Lakghomi's novel 'South' is a penetrating examination of the human condition under the yoke of totalitarianism, disguised as a haunting journey through a barren and desolate landscape. Through his protagonist B, Lakghomi draws readers into a world where the forces of oppression are ever-present and where every shadow is pregnant with meaning.

What is remarkable about Lakghomi's narrative is the way he creates a seamless interplay between reality and imagination. His prose is tight yet evocative, bringing to life a world where superstition and surveillance coexist in an uneasy equilibrium. The structure of the novel, which resembles a puzzle, adds another layer of complexity to the narrative, mirroring the labyrinthine nature of the world B is navigating.

One of the standout features of 'South' is its ability to weave complex themes of personal guilt, totalitarianism, and surveillance into a narrative that is as personal as it is political. B's relationships with his wife, father, and an enigmatic woman he meets on his journey add an emotional depth and complexity to the story, which elevates the novel beyond a simple political commentary.

Ultimately, what makes 'South' memorable is its unique ability to stay with the reader long after the final page has been turned. Through his masterful storytelling, Lakghomi creates a world that is both alien and intimately familiar, a world that enthralls and unnerves in equal measure. For anyone looking for a thought-provoking, deeply affecting meditation on the human condition, 'South' is a must-read.

Thank you to Dundurn Press and NetGalley for the advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

This had me, then lost me, then had me, then lost me.. I suspect that was the plan. If it had ended sooner, I would have been more pleased. I am not here to say that what Mr. Lakaghomi did was wrong. This is his art, and he captures madness very well. I just needed something a bit different at the end for me.

South was a rather odd book. Dystopian and mysterious, it read a lot to me like 1984. If you're looking for a short read that will leave you thinking after you're done, South might just be the book for you!

In a dessert without a name, readers will find situations all to similar to ones we hear about on the news lately. This work of fiction will leave readers entranced in their own thoughts as they reflect on the writings of Lakghomi and their connections to the real world.

"South" by Babak Lakghomi, a dystopian tale, immediately thrusts readers into a bleak world of environmental devastation and political turmoil. The protagonist, B, a journalist on a mission in a dystopic South, faces challenges as he navigates a landscape marked by poverty and superstition. The story unfolds with a tight, almost skeletal narrative style, revealing B's haunting past and his unsettling present on an oil rig and later a cargo ship. The spare prose, focusing on settings and sensations, creates a chilling atmosphere, emphasizing the uncertainty of relationships. The novel provokes discomfort, skillfully addressing the blurred lines between reality and dystopia.

B is just trying to catch a break. He has yet to be published, though his latest manuscript is in his editor’s hands. His marriage is rocky as he grows distant from his wife, and feels unable to provide for her. In haste, he decides to take a reporting job in the south, commenting on the lives of oil rig workers. He leaves his wife behind, only able to communicate with her through an archaic and labyrinthine email delivery system involving a flash drive, which he promptly gives up on. He grows increasingly isolated as he doesn’t really know what he’s supposed to be doing on the rig. But someone, somewhere on the rig does and they are doing everything they can to either let him know of the plan, or shutter whatever goals he might develop. It could be management, any of the workers, or even the assistant cook. B becomes paranoid and paralyzed, losing trust in everyone and everything including time itself.

South, by Babok Lakghomi, is a fever dream of a novella that follows one man’s descent into a totalitarian nightmare. I picked it up on a whim because of its gorgeous cover art, and haunting synopsis. I stayed for the alienation depicted on every page and B’s world expands and contracts with each breath, waking or sleeping.

South is written with cold detached language that can barely keep track of B’s thoughts and whereabouts. The reader’s only understanding of events is filtered through B’s increasingly paranoid and unfiltered subjectivity. Thoughts ramble on without boundaries. People pass in and out of his life without question or detail. He’s trapped within his room on the rig with nothing to do but ponder what the hell is going on, and why is he there. B seems to survive without reason.

B’s telling of his story makes no sense, even in hindsight. It captures the feeling of a dream that felt so vivid in the moment only to defy reason and analysis upon waking. Everything has a purpose as it’s occurring, only to become a single ripple from a stone thrown on the other side of the pond. There is a horror lurking on every page, an intense droning kind that never gets a chance to rear its ugly head. Everytime B seems to get a grasp on his next survival strategy, the floor shifts beneath him. Lakghomi heightens this constant dissociation by denying both the reader, and B any sense of catharsis. There is only the moment in South, and it’s filled with anxiety. Plans become meaningless as B gets lost in his own head. He is alienated by the world he sets out to observe, and instead of breaking through, he digs in and bunkers down. He can only ask questions, and even those are only half finished. How can one man stand against such an assault on his being?

Lakghomi’s choice to follow Camus’ detached narration is perfect for this kind of story. It heightens the dread, making everything mundane, and making the mundane a threat. B is paralyzed by his fear, unable to make any sorts of choices. This is not the story of a hero triumphing against a shadowy system, it’s of a bug being ground underneath a boot heel. The narration captures the fleeting emotions with ease, but not detail; making the reader feel like they are being lied to.

However, this everpresent surreality comes with a price. I often was not sure of where the novel was going, or what Lakghomi was trying to explore. I found parts of the short work a little stagnant when it felt like it lingered in one place a little too long. A quick change in B’s perspective often brought a reinvigorating jolt, which may have been the point. The exhausting tediousness of constantly feeling like you’re being watched paired with the exhausting tediousness of having nothing of import to do. Lakghomi succeeds at capturing that banality, but after a while it gets a little boring, especially when B never seems to want to act. I understood he couldn’t, but he comes off as a man destined to let the world go by, unable to even describe it as it passes in the night. Maybe if he had pushed against the boundaries a little more it would have made for a more interesting experience to me.

The story’s ending was the real decider though, as is often the case for me with surreal stories. Though I found parts of the story a drag, Lakghomi nails the ending. It’s a slow burn of a silent fire that isn’t even bright enough to be seen in the night. If that sounds perfectly depressing and surreal to you, then South should be on your list. It’s a book that overwhelms the reader with a detached and surreal paranoia, built on a foundation of half truths, and questionable lies. It can be bumpy, and your mileage may vary, but I found the time reading it far from wasted. I just wish there was a little more to chew on.

Rating: South 7.0/10
-Alex

An ARC of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts on this book are my own.

Really neat concept for book, but by the time it was over, I felt like I didn't get it and like something was missing. I don't think it's me, I think it's the book.

E-arc from NetGalley and Dundurn to voluntarily read and review.

“South” by Babak Lakghomi is a haunting and surreal exploration of a dystopian world where totalitarianism reigns, and individuals grapple with the search for truth and agency. In this enigmatic narrative, B, a journalist, embarks on a mysterious assignment to report on strikes at an offshore oil rig in an unnamed desert country. From the very beginning of his journey, B is confronted with a desolate and decaying landscape plagued by drought, superstitious beliefs, and corrupt forces that thrive on manipulation and censorship. The novel unfolds as a puzzle, delving into themes of totalitarianism, surveillance, alienation, and guilt. It challenges readers to question the unseen forces that control our lives and the consequences of our actions. Lakghomi’s storytelling is both harrowing and hallucinogenic, immersing readers in a world where reality blurs with surrealism, and the boundaries between truth and illusion are indistinct.

One of the book’s standout features is its exploration of the power of myth and superstition in a society where fear and uncertainty are prevalent. B’s encounter with a ritual in a remote village, shrouded in mysticism and performed to ward off evil winds, sets the tone for the eerie and unsettling atmosphere that permeates the narrative. The incorporation of quotes from “The Book of the Winds” and B’s own notebook adds depth and complexity to the story, reinforcing the mystery that surrounds his mission. As B delves deeper into the heart of darkness on the offshore oil rig, the reader is exposed to a world of brutality, cruelty, and deprivation. Lakghomi paints a bleak picture of a society teetering on the brink of collapse, where industrial strikes lead to violence, and dissent is met with suppression. The rig itself becomes a nightmarish labyrinth, reminiscent of Kafkaesque settings, where fear and suspicion fester, and individuals who resist face grim consequences.

B’s personal journey is intertwined with his crumbling marriage to Tara, adding a layer of emotional depth to the narrative. The novel explores themes of existential alienation, as B grapples with his own insecurities and confronts the mysteries of his past, including his father’s unexplained disappearance. Lakghomi’s sparse prose and precision of language contribute to the book’s overall impact, immersing readers in a world where every word carries weight. “South” is a thought-provoking and immersive read that resonates with contemporary themes of power, control, and the human condition. It is a gripping exploration of a world on the brink of collapse, where individuals are trapped in a web of secrecy and manipulation. Babak Lakghomi’s novel serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of totalitarianism and the enduring quest for truth and meaning in a fractured world.

2.5? 3? I tend to begin reviews with a few keywords in mind and the only one sticking out for me is UNDONE. Is something missing?

⭐️⭐️⭐️
B travels to The South as a journalist to investigate strikes on oil rigs. What follows was a haunting and hallucinogenic tale of what happens there under a totalitarian rule.
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I rushed through this short story to figure out what was real and what was happening to him. The story about his childhood and father and the current day relationship with his partner made me feel for him. It was like his life was always a rough one. With the ending I’m still unsure if he is going to be alright.
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Thank you to NetGalley and Rare Machines for a free digital copy on exchange for an honest review. This book will be published 12 SEPTEMBER 2023.

While I personally didn't enjoy this book I don't think its necessarily a bad book, I was just not the correct audience for it. I hope that someone is able to read this review and, if they don't mind or even like the things I didn't, they discover a new favorite.

This book seems to be an autobiography written by a journalist in a totalitarian universe. The "writer" our main character, not the author, expects that the reader lives in his universe thus doesn't feel the need to provide backstory or world building. That doesn't bother me at all but many people need to know what's going on. The plot singles on this one man and we get no answers to the state of the universe or, really even, this mans personal fate. Its very open ended. The writer either has the confidence of a mediocre white man, he is dumb, or both because he never seems to realize his actions are likely to get him and many other people killed. This seems obvious to the reader even though we have no context of the universe. Again, this doesn't bother me and makes for an interesting story.

I really enjoyed the writing style. It was prose that read like poetry mixed with a little bit of insanity. I think this would make a really good audiobook. Overall the book felt intelligent, literary, and eerily relevant to where our own world might be headed. A modern 1984 with global warming and unions as the star instead of big brother.

That being said you might wonder why I didn't like this. That comes down to two things that are very personal dislikes. First, I never understood why some male writers feel the need to add scenes of masturbitory emissions to literary works. Is it for shock value? Because it does nothing but make me uncomfortable. If I wanted to read about masturbation I'd read smut or romance. I don't need to read "My semen in the water like a snake" suddenly in the middle of a novel about a governments abuse of power. The other thing that I hate reading about is cheating, which is a very personal thing, but again, based on the premise, I didn't expect to be anything resembling a relationship or romance in this book.

This is not something I'd widely recommend but could be great for the correct audience.

3.5 rounded up. What did I just read? It's oddly compelling even while everything is swathed in the anonymity that comes with totalitarianism. So mamy people exist and disappear that reality is slippery and untethered.

Ultimately, I'm not sure what to do with this one. It comes full circle and just stops. Something like if Solzhenitsyn or Elie Wiesel wrote The Hike. I am less sure of what to do with this much more plausible version than the one where the protagonist spends a large amount of time as a crab...

An interesting premise that didn’t really do it for me. I loved the explorations and realities of the labour movement however the grim outcome was a bit too bleak for what I typically look for. Characters didn’t give me any reason to root for them, and ultimately I didn’t care about the world presented here.

Published by Dundurn Press/Rare Machines on September 12, 2023

“What is considered innocent today may not be so tomorrow.” That Kafkaesque explanation for B.’s plight sets the tone in South, a novel in which authoritarian rulers censor books, erase their critics, and change the rules without notice.

The time and place in which the novel is set is never identified. That choice underscores the risk that authoritarianism can arise at any time in any nation.

After a drought, men moved south to work on oil rigs. Those jobs won’t last because oil production is exceeding demand. Steel factories and refineries are closing. Strikes are shutting down industrial cities; union leaders have mysteriously disappeared. Independent fishermen can’t compete against the big industrial ships. Wells are going dry; fresh water is scarce. Diseases have spread for which medicine had no cure. The legendary people of the wind perform rituals to drive diseases from the body. Whether the rituals work is a matter of opinion or faith.

B.’s father brought unions together. B. is writing a book about his father to help him understand his father’s disappearance. His mother believes his father left to protect the family. B. knows he won’t be allowed to write about his father’s union activism, but the publisher has sanitized the first chapters to make his father unrecognizable. The last book B. completed was about storks, but he had to avoid mentioning the environmental destruction that is wiping them out.

Now B. is driving south because his Editor asked him to write a report about an oil rig. He is to write what he sees or learns from the workers. The assignment puzzles B. but he wants to please the Editor. The Company has given him permission to visit but isn’t cooperating with his investigation.

B. is stymied by the resistance of workers to his interview requests. He gets information from an assistant cook who disappears. He watches a man set himself on fire. Otherwise, he has little to write about and he's afraid to send his editor the few facts that are worth reporting. He hides his notebook but it soon disappears.

Eventually B. is imprisoned on a ship and isolated. He is forced to write whenever he’s awake. He doesn’t know what to write, but his interrogator implies that writing is the key to his freedom. It is more likely the reason for his imprisonment. The interrogation is designed to reshape B.’s thoughts, to sever him from his identity. Only after the interrogator believes his will is broken does B. see other prisoners on the ship, including a woman he encountered on the rig. Even his silent efforts to commune with her are thwarted, or so it seems to B.

When B. narrates his backstory, we learn that he drinks too much, makes poor choices, and has low self-esteem. He lives with Tara but had an indiscreet moment with a woman he met in a bookstore. He receives a package on the rig that suggests the encounter was a setup. Then he receives unsettling news about Tara. He doesn’t know if anything he learns is real. His experiences are eventually indistinguishable from hallucinations. His dreams merge with visions that merge with reality.

Kafka’s vision of ordinary innocents trapped in the bewildering absurdity of authoritarian rule never loses its relevance. It probably won’t be a spoiler to suggest that authoritarian rule will leave B. a broken man. Breaking people is the point of authoritarianism. Is there a possibility of recovery from such damage? The novel provides no clear answer but leaves room for hope.

Late in the story, characters debate the best response to authoritarianism. The media is state-controlled and the news can’t be trusted. Protests lead to tear gas and beatings and confinement. The state relies on terror to control its citizens, but it can’t lock up everyone. When it locks up writers and other people with known faces, it sparks more protest.

In the long run, perhaps resistance is not futile. “Working within the system” can be perceived as cowardice or selling out. It can also be seen as self-protection or a strategy of incremental change. These debates are relevant to people who live under authoritarian rule. They’re also important to people who recognize the danger of electing authoritarians in a democracy.

South is published by a Canadian publisher, but Babak Lakghomi’s home country is Iran. He understands how government propaganda is used to control and confuse. Trump’s press secretary presented “alternative facts” when confronted with real facts, a small example of how misinformation is wielded as a tool of government even in a relatively free democracy.

Lakghomi tells his story in a minimalist style from the perspective of an unremarkable protagonist. Those choices assure that nothing distracts from his powerful reminder of how authoritarianism can creep into any environment and change the life of any person who makes even a small effort to question authority.

RECOMMENDED

Life is often confusing. We often realise that however much we want to take control that the universe seems to throw everything else in our way. Is that just random chaos or could we attempt to divine deeper agendas? In South by Babak Lakghomi a writer finds himself offered an opportunity, but it is a dangerous and unpredictable world that awaits him. Sadly, I found the book did not meet the task of projecting that feeling and instead just seemed to poorly replicate well-worn predictable paths.

B is a journalist trying to write a book about his absent father but recently hired to work as a freelance investigator. He goes to the South of the unnamed country and to cover the dangerous oil fields where people scrape by in ever more dangerous conditions. He is not trusted and he feels cut off from the world. He finds he may be getting investigated and someone knows about a one night stand he had that he is hiding from his wife. Are there corrupt governments or malign supernatural powers at work?

When you use lead characters with a single initial it is not hard to think of Kafka’s work and Lakghomi is definitely aiming for a strange claustrophobic world where every decision leads to more problems and no way out. But the book feels to be simply tries to be replicating these types of tales and many others seen in literary fiction without adding anything fresh itself or even getting the approach to provide a coherent narrative.

Nearly all characters and locations are known by their titles rather than any names. So, we have characters such as The Editor or The Assistant Cook. I always struggle with this as it feels a little unimaginative type of storytelling and the characters here are fairly thin at the best of times. The story jumps constantly from B’s unhappy childhood, his affair, his love for his wife and his struggles with an editor who no longer likes the book he was said was great. It is a scattershot approach that I think is aiming for a demonstration of chaos but ultimately feels like it is lacking any plot. The book goes for a terse style but never really sits down to explain things. For 200 pages this tale felt much longer and got nowhere fast. Safe to say this is sadly not a book I can recommend.

South is an ambiguous novel about the creeping insidiousness of a certain kind of totalitarianism. The question is, does its ambiguity, its lack of concrete setting or really any reference to extant politics or organised religion damage or strengthen its effect. And is Lakghomi really talking about the dehumanising effect of such regimes in general, or much more interested in the specific dehumanising and destruction of his lead character?

I'd argue the latter, which doesn't rule out the former, but the lack of anything concrete about the regime slowly working on our lead does mean that it is only effective in the abstract. B is a journalist, though recently mainly a memoirist having written a book partially about his father. He is sent South on assignment, to an industrial rig (the word suggests oil but this is a book that suggests a lot of things). Personal items are removed from him, information denied him, all communications end up going through a secretary, everything is read, some is with-held. As he tries to get his story he meets some subversives who then get disappeared, and the red tape gets thicker, and thicker until he realises that despite his middle-class credentials, he is as trapped as the rest.

South is a short novel, and it gets to the point pretty quickly, it ratchets up the confusion, fear and eventually helpless sadness efficiently. We see the effect of isolation, and imprisonment of various kinds on his own mind, the paranoia that kicks in about his own marriage, later played out. The ambiguity that suffuses the book does give an everyman sense to the novel, while at the same time, B's own reminiscences (particularly that of an attractive woman he followed home once) undermine his everyman quality. And yet by the end of it the book succeeds in its aim, of showing how anyone can get broken down and even lose everything without openly appearing to do so.