Imagine a world where the climate hinges on uninhabitable. Citizens are under constant surveillance. Crossing state and national borders without proper ID can get you imprisoned in cells similar to cattle pens. The untenable factory-farmed meat industry reveals humanity’s uncaring hedonism. Wait … that’s status quo, isn’t it? Local author Jay VanLandingham’s debut dystopian sci-fi novel “Sentient” shows how all of society’s current woes could compound by 2040 despite significant technological advancements.
The book centers around three main characters, each chapter from one’s perspective. First is Bray, who’s established a psychic link with a pig named Alice. Institutionalized in a militaristic mental health facility by her possessive mother and passive father, Bray is unable to come to Alice’s aid as the swine counts down the days she transitions from pig to pork chop.
Bertan works on the killing floor at a massive slaughterhouse that runs night and day. An undocumented migrant, he’s afraid his family back home is going to disappear if he doesn’t return to them, but he’ll have to survive the arduous task of crossing the border one more time.
Rounding out the protagonists is Kage, an exiled animal rights activist who’s decided to risk their freedom by reentering society in order to discover what happened to their long-lost parents. Kage and the other characters’ journey reveals the lengths those in control will take in order to keep the population under their corporate thumb.
Author Jay VanLandingham, a transgender, non-binary animal rights activist, pours their heart onto the page. They write with authority and give the reader every reason to believe we are in for even more troubled times if things don’t change soon. Utilizing several sci-fi tropes, “Sentient” serves as a captivating-yet-stern cautionary tale against unchecked power and its effect on animals, the climate and humanity as a whole.
VanLandingham has two book signings on Sept. 22 at 7 p.m. at Third Way Peace Fellowship in Northside and noon on Sept. 24 at College Hill Coffee Co. The author will read select excerpts from “Sentient” at the appearances, answer questions and sign books. For more information, visit jayvanlandingham.com.
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This article appears in Aug 24 – Sep 6, 2022.