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Société is the story of Christian Matters, a cynical architect whose life is transformed by the chance meeting of Lester Rothschild, a cavalier aristocrat coming to terms with his own destiny, and the world’s. In his acclaimed debut novel, Alexander Helas delivers a masterful, captivating vision on the struggle of free will at the hands of society’s quest for … novel, Alexander Helas delivers a masterful, captivating vision on the struggle of free will at the hands of society’s quest for progress.
In ‘Societe’ Alexander Helas writes about a period in the life of an average everyday guy who becomes embroiled in a series of larger than life events, due to a car collision and the guy behind the other wheel.
Along the way, he encounters a woman who claims to not be from this century, saying she is there because of a lottery win.
But that’s not the least of his worries.
And so begins Christian Matters’s epic odyssey.
This is science fiction at its best. Helas is a superbly creative, capable and original storyteller with a unique voice, who really keeps the reader on tenterhooks.
The story is set against a backdrop of a not too distant future world where there are no wars, disease, famine, or poverty. But man’s greed and the battle of power and corruption are still very much in evidence.
This is intelligent fiction carrying a moral message. 10 out of 10.
This book was personally a literary work of excellence in terms of how it is executed and expressed as well as the skillful way he used his words throughout. I mean it was definitely ambiguous for me at first but when I got used to his craft, I immediately deemed him as a scholar, a very advanced storyteller because I enjoyed this book eventually. It felt like a modern-day The Great Gatsby with all the lovers, parties, glitz and glamor of Lester and Athena’s world (I equate them to Gatsby and Daisy).
It starts off with a twenty-nine years old, slender and athletically built architect by the name of Christian Matters who decides one day to quit his job and drive on down to California where he accidentally meets the Lester Rothschild who is just getting excited to launch Societe’, a rooftop complex masterminded by him for the rich and powerful. The book is divided into two plots: the main one where Christian is seduced by Lester, his attractive wife Athena, and his two side girlfriends Lorena and Nicole; and the subplot where two characters who are lottery winners are brought before a character dubbed The Model who tries to get them to succumb to his world called Yesteryear. The only character who “stars” in both of these storylines is a woman who comes off as seductively sincere and gentle who is unlike the other female characters of the book.
I found the story to be different than the books I usually read. Aside from that, it has a literary fiction appeal to it that understandably earned it the accolades it lists on the first few pages. I believe it is up there with the likes of the great classic that I mention in the first paragraph. As with another reviewer on here, I agree that the author has a remarkable way of using words in a different angle but not in a way that would make it un-meritorious. Overall, I give this book four stars because I liked it but also could not quite grasp the meaning of the subplot with the Model. It is one that should be used for academic writing where scholars dig deep into it and examine its meaning and symbolism. I mean, that’s what it all felt like to me. I recommend it to those who love literary fiction and those who are looking for a puzzle to solve.
Contemporary fiction has a new star in Alexander Helas, with his debut novel ‘Societe’, having a visionary plot and accomplished characters, that are so absorbing and engrossing, I genuinely struggled to put it down. Dystopian fiction has come a long way, and ‘Societe’ is a great example of this. We start with architect Christian Matters – bitter, cynical, and tired of his life. Living in the 2050s, where science is continuously advancing the limits of human potential, perhaps Christian felt that there should be more to his life. A chance encounter with the eccentric Lester Rothschild totally upends his life, challenging everything he knows about free will and the darkness than can exist within those in power. Perhaps Helas has given us a chilling glimpse into the near future.
The language of this book was like nothing I had ever read before. Sometimes the prose took on a real lyrical and poetic quality, which give the narrative and amazing flow, that kept sweeping me away for an another few pages, then another few chapters. A completely unique 5 star read.
Science fiction as it is supposed to be. Ray Bradbury came to
mind, multiple times. A steady pace of action, well-formed and
developed characters and the use of futuristic technology that is
not muddled down with too much. Filled with rich and beautifully
descriptive vocabulary, one would not think that the nature of
politicians, could be described here. Yet Helas offers a
philosophically dynamic and innovative viewpoint into the
possibilities of the future, all the while having a true voice of
a definitive vocabulary and annunciation.
Helas’s clever novel weaves two interrelated threads of a story, concerning the consequences of a road traffic accident, a scientific breakthrough with considerable potential impact on mankind and a future in which mining and time travel sit side by side. It essentially concerns the human condition and how technology could play a very significant part. Part Science-Fiction, part Steampunk, this is an intricately thought out, well designed and executed piece of writing with broad appeal to readers. Helas writes with great clarity and precision. There are many twists and turns in this novel and not everything is as it first appears. This is a gripping story with action and moments of tenderness alike, that takes readers on a real journey of discovery.
The story begins unassumingly, with embittered architect Christian Matters’ hard work on a client’s plans criticised and dismissed by his boss. This is followed by Christian abandoning work and taking off on an impromptu road trip that takes a few turns for the unexpected and leads into worlds very different from his own.
Alexander Helas writes with an impressive vocabulary in this futuristic fantasy, in places quite poetically, using rich descriptions and painting extraordinarily vivid scenes and characters; the cast of characters themselves conversing rather philosophically.
Set in the 2050s and featuring time travel and the advancement of science and human potential, Société tells a contemporary morality tale about the future and the dark nature of people, power and politics.
Recommended for all fans of chilling dystopia!
Societe by Alexander Helas is a one of a kind book that follows the life of Christian Matters an architect in Chicago, who one day just takes to the road, heads west, and changes his life. He’s quit his lucrative job, no longer has a girlfriend, and is trying to clear his head, and to see what life has in store. Along the way he meets Lester Rothschild, an aristocrat with a quirky personality, and plenty of dreams. The overarching theme of the book is free will, predestination and the like, and the author displays his interpretation of these themes in a new and interesting way. His use of language is impressive, mixing words together in ways that haven’t been done before. This itself creates a tone to the story, that supports the quest the characters seem to be on. Christian also meets a character named Deax, someone from another realm, struggling in her new world. This is a thought provoking story, beguiling, and entertaining. It will certainly make you question your concepts about life and free will. Highly recommend.
Helas has a wonderful way with words. This is my first time coming across his books, and I was impressed at how poetic he is. This is sometimes a flaw, as the flowery and purple language can seem a little over the top or too layered for the casual reader to grasp without losing the flow of the story, but overall it came across very well.
The story’s characters are interesting, and dropping a Rothschild into the mix seemed appropriate considering the overall plot arc and how the machine of society ticks along in Helas’ universe. The characters are believable, and the plot is interesting enough to make up for some of the small (and very minor) issues in the novel.
The author’s style is certainly his own, and he doesn’t give into the rigid rules of writing that new authors are expected to follow…and in this instance it seems to work, because the voice itself is unique.
The story itself is a hard to pin down, it beats to it’s own drum. It’s definitely contemporary/modern fiction, and following Christian through discovering himself and his role in society. Definitely worth the read, which can be done in a weekend.