Publisher Description

'AN EERILY PLAUSIBLE DYSTOPIAN MASTERPIECE' Emily St. John Mandel, author of STATION ELEVEN'AN EXTRAORDINARY NOVEL . . . with echoes of The Handmaid's Tale' Cory Doctorow***SHORTLISTED FOR THE PHILIP K. DICK AWARD***From one of the most original new voices in modern fiction comes a startling vision of a world where you can get away with anything . . .Theo Miller knows the value of human life - to the very last penny. Working in the Criminal Audit Office, he assesses each crime that crosses his desk and makes sure the correct debt to society is paid in full. But when his ex-lover is killed, it's different. This is one death he can't let become merely an entry on a balance sheet. Because when the richest in the world are getting away with murder, sometimes the numbers just don't add up.From the award-winning Claire North comes an electrifying and provocative new novel which will resonate with readers around the world. Praise for 84K:'Another captivating novel from one of the most intriguing and genre-bending novelists' Booklist'Claire North goes from strength to strength . . . A tense, moving story' Guardian'Absolutely breath-taking... An early and compelling candidate for best novel of 2018' SciFi Magazine'A dystopian anthem for the modern activist . . . 84K is an important book but also a cracking thriller . . . Quite simply, North's best book so far' Starburst'North is an original and even dazzling writer' Kirkus'North's talent shines out' Sunday TimesWorks by Claire NorthNovels:The First Fifteen Lives of Harry AugustTouchThe Sudden Appearance of HopeThe End of the Day84KThe GameshouseThe Pursuit of William Abbey

Notes

The author of word-of-mouth bestseller The First Fifteen Lives Of Harry August and contributor to the Black Mirror book presents a dystopian novel in which an employee of the Criminal Audit Office is confronted by the death of his ex-lover, and considers that no price can be put on a life, with an urgent bid for social justice following. Available now in paperback.

Author Biography

Claire North is a pseudonym for Catherine Webb, who wrote several novels in various genres before publishing her first major work as Claire North, The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August. It was a critically acclaimed success, receiving rave reviews and becoming a word-of-mouth bestseller. She has since published several hugely popular and critically acclaimed novels, won the World Fantasy Award and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award, and been shortlisted for the Sunday Times/PFD Young Writer of the Year Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award and the Philip K. Dick Award. She lives in London.

Review

An eerily plausible dystopian masterpiece * Emily St. John Mandel, author of STATION ELEVEN *
An extraordinary novel that stands with the best of dystopian fiction, with echoes of The Handmaid's Tale -- Cory Doctorow on 84K
Absolutely breath-taking... An early and compelling candidate for best novel of 2018. Read it * Sci Fi Magazine *
Another captivating novel from one of the most intriguing and genre-bending novelists * BOOKLIST on 84K *
Claire North goes from strength to strength . . . A tense, moving story set in drawing from current political trends to present a draconian future similar to that of Nineteen Eighty-Four * GUARDIAN on 84K *
Absolutely breath-taking... An early and compelling candidate for best novel of 2018. Read it * Sci Fi Magazine *
[A] gut-punch of a novel . . . a story that is rare - one of those that is so good I didn't want it to end . . . Painted in shades of Fahrenheit 451, of Children of Men, Soylent Green and Brave New World * NPR *
[North] demonstrates again that her imaginative energy is as prodigious as her output. * SUNDAY TIMES *
Absorbing and timely; a book to wrestle and argue with, but first and foremost, to read * NEW YORK TIMES on 84k *
84K is a furious, confrontational book that's extremely smart . . . .its energy is infectious and its ideas are fiercely provocative * SCIFINOW *
This is a dystopian anthem for the modern activist, a warning of an all too near future and a wake-up call for anyone who believes justice should not come with a price tag. 84K is an important book but also a cracking thriller and a great bit of near-future speculative fiction. Quite simply, North's best book so far, and given how brilliant The Sudden Appearance of Hope and The Fifteen Lives of Harry August are, that is saying a lot. * STARBURST *
North is an original and even dazzling writer, and fans of her work will enjoy this grim tale of capitalism taken to a terrifying extreme * KIRKUS on 84K *
The truly scary thing about 84K is how convincing this dark, brutal class-divided Britain is * SFX (4 1/2 stars) *
North demonstrates skill in creating a terrifying setting that feels rooted to the present day . . . Every aspect of life in Theo's Britain is imbued with a menace that feels both recognizable and urgent, and the decisions the characters make as a result feel uncomfortably real. * RT BOOK REVIEWS on 84K *
One of the most distinct and compelling SF novels of the year thus far * THE TORONTO STAR on 84K *
It's exciting to read a genre novel that's willing to be this bold with language . . . 84K opens with a simple "what if," but it quickly develops into a structurally inventive, sharply ob­served thought experiment about the gradual disap­pearance of our basic liberties and human rights * LOCUS *
A fascinating look at the decisions society is taking now * THE BOOKBAG on 84K *
North's talent shines out * SUNDAY TIMES *
Claire North is a true original, a master of ingenious plotting and feats of imagination * Alex Marwood, author of THE WICKED GIRLS *
Claire North's writing is terrific, smart and entertaining * Patrick Ness *

Prizes

Nominated for Philip K. Dick Award 2019 (UK)

Long Description

'AN EERILY PLAUSIBLE DYSTOPIAN MASTERPIECE' Emily St. John Mandel, author of STATION ELEVEN 'AN EXTRAORDINARY NOVEL . . . with echoes of The Handmaid's Tale ' Cory Doctorow ***SHORTLISTED FOR THE PHILIP K. DICK AWARD*** From one of the most original new voices in modern fiction comes a startling vision of a world where you can get away with anything . . .Theo Miller knows the value of human life - to the very last penny. Working in the Criminal Audit Office, he assesses each crime that crosses his desk and makes sure the correct debt to society is paid in full. But when his ex-lover is killed, it's different. This is one death he can't let become merely an entry on a balance sheet. Because when the richest in the world are getting away with murder, sometimes the numbers just don't add up. From the award-winning Claire North comes an electrifying and provocative new novel which will resonate with readers around the world. Praise for 84K: 'Another captivating novel from one of the most intriguing and genre-bending novelists' Booklist 'Claire North goes from strength to strength . . . A tense, moving story' Guardian 'Absolutely breath-taking... An early and compelling candidate for best novel of 2018' SciFi Magazine 'A dystopian anthem for the modern activist . . . 84K is an important book but also a cracking thriller . . . Quite simply, North's best book so far' Starburst 'North is an original and even dazzling writer' Kirkus 'North's talent shines out' Sunday Times

Review Quote

North's talent shines out

Promotional "Headline"

The stunning new novel from the award-winning Claire North, one of the most original voices in modern fiction

Details