Random Acts of Senseless Violence
Encyclopedia
Random Acts of Senseless Violence is a dystopian and speculative fiction
novel by Jack Womack
.
in which violence, rising unemployment, and riots are commonplace in the city, as well as the rest of the United States
. As the novel progresses, Lola transforms from a student at one of Manhattan's most privileged private school
s to a street-wise gangster as she and her family struggle to survive the despair of a crumbling government and economy.
won the prestigious Philip K. Dick Award and was shortlisted for the Locus Award
. In a July 2008 article for Tor.com, Jo Walton
decried the critical neglect of the work. Walton speculated that its lack of prominence was due to its initial low-key reception, the "singularly appalling" cover art
of the early editions, a title that was "off-putting" and misleading, and its disconnect from the zeitgeist
of the time, which was focused on cyberpunk
and space opera
. She was echoed by fellow science fiction author Cory Doctorow
, who described the work as "an unflinching, engrossing, difficult coming-of-age story" and referred to it as "Womack's underappreciated masterpiece".
Speculative fiction
Speculative fiction is an umbrella term encompassing the more fantastical fiction genres, specifically science fiction, fantasy, horror, supernatural fiction, superhero fiction, utopian and dystopian fiction, apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, and alternate history in literature as well as...
novel by Jack Womack
Jack Womack
Jack Womack is an American author of fiction and speculative fiction. He lives in New York City with his wife and daughter, and works as a publicity manager for the Orbit and Yen imprints of Hachette Book Group USA....
.
Plot introduction
The novel is told in the form of a fictional diary by the 12-year-old protagonist Lola Hart, and details Lola and her family's experiences in a near-future ManhattanManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
in which violence, rising unemployment, and riots are commonplace in the city, as well as the rest of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As the novel progresses, Lola transforms from a student at one of Manhattan's most privileged private school
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
s to a street-wise gangster as she and her family struggle to survive the despair of a crumbling government and economy.
Critical reception
The book did not attract significant attention on release; though there were a few reviews, it was not nominated for any awards even though Womack's previous work, ElvisseyElvissey
Elvissey is a Jack Womack science fiction novel, one of his Dryco quartet, set in a dystopian 2033 CE. This fictional universe is dominated by Dryco, a Machiavellian multinational corporation which pursues its plans for global domination of its world, amidst runaway climate change, unstable...
won the prestigious Philip K. Dick Award and was shortlisted for the Locus Award
Locus Award
The Locus Award is a literary award established in 1971 and presented to winners of Locus magazine's annual readers' poll. Currently, the Locus Awards are presented at an annual banquet...
. In a July 2008 article for Tor.com, Jo Walton
Jo Walton
Jo Walton is a Welsh-Canadian fantasy and science fiction writer and poet. She won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in 2002 and the World Fantasy award for her novel Tooth and Claw in 2004. Her novel Ha'penny was a co-winner of the 2008 Prometheus Award...
decried the critical neglect of the work. Walton speculated that its lack of prominence was due to its initial low-key reception, the "singularly appalling" cover art
Cover art
Cover art is the illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product such as a book , magazine, comic book, video game , DVD, CD, videotape, or music album. The art has a primarily commercial function, i.e...
of the early editions, a title that was "off-putting" and misleading, and its disconnect from the zeitgeist
Zeitgeist
Zeitgeist is "the spirit of the times" or "the spirit of the age."Zeitgeist is the general cultural, intellectual, ethical, spiritual or political climate within a nation or even specific groups, along with the general ambiance, morals, sociocultural direction, and mood associated with an era.The...
of the time, which was focused on cyberpunk
Cyberpunk
Cyberpunk is a postmodern and science fiction genre noted for its focus on "high tech and low life." The name is a portmanteau of cybernetics and punk, and was originally coined by Bruce Bethke as the title of his short story "Cyberpunk," published in 1983...
and space opera
Space opera
Space opera is a subgenre of science fiction that emphasizes romantic, often melodramatic adventure, set mainly or entirely in outer space, generally involving conflict between opponents possessing advanced technologies and abilities. The term has no relation to music and it is analogous to "soap...
. She was echoed by fellow science fiction author Cory Doctorow
Cory Doctorow
Cory Efram Doctorow is a Canadian-British blogger, journalist, and science fiction author who serves as co-editor of the blog Boing Boing. He is an activist in favour of liberalising copyright laws and a proponent of the Creative Commons organization, using some of their licences for his books...
, who described the work as "an unflinching, engrossing, difficult coming-of-age story" and referred to it as "Womack's underappreciated masterpiece".
Publication history
- 1995, USA, Grove Press/Atlantic Monthly Press ISBN ISBN 0-871-13577-9, Pub date October 1995, Hardback