Q by Christina Dalcher
Intelligentia, perfectum, sapientiae. From the author of 'Vox' comes this good tale of elite schools and eugenics. This tries for a monumentally bleak look at a possible future of establishment arrogance, elitism, intellectual condescension and an imposition of new cultural norms. Elena is a teacher, married to a terrible cold-hearted man. Together they recreated a historical wrongdoing to fill schools with intellectual strivers and weed out the fools and dumb-bells.
Elena's husband is deliberately rejecting of their youngest daughter and always has a derisive smirk. When the youngest daughter fails a test and is sent away to a school for idiots, Elena plans to rescue her. As for her genuinely appalling husband, he doesn't care to listen to her voice her grievances and a dire situation is going to get worse.
This isn't just about the exclusion of morons, the schools have a social purpose and hateful task. Elena has gothic anguish and eternal torment as the particularly absurd new social order causes dreadful experiences and a dangerous new cultural conservatism. The smart have haughty self importance and blissful oblivion and the dumb are not very desirable. Elena's life has been a series of poor choices. This tries for suspenseful and intensely disturbing. This was compulsive reading.
This is about the exceptionally clever v the duller witted. Ruthlessly self interested people regard the devastation they leave with indifference and satisfaction and have contempt for people they consider lesser mortals.
Best Lines:
“Things haven't been good here for a long time.”
“Doesn't look like he could pass a blood test.”
“Penalties bestowed on the losers make for solid motivation.”
“Two-day video rentals and bookstores the size of an airplane hanger.”
“I traded something for this man, something I thought I wanted, and still do.”
“Lost to a system I helped create-”
“SAT scores a hedgehog could have beaten.”
“Thought the world would be better without her.”
“Chances taken away from them.”
