Singapore Shelf: A world in ruins
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SINGAPORE – In this week’s Singapore Shelf, The Straits Times looks at books that were published here recently. Buy the books at Amazon
Book review: Thrilling tale of talking monkeys and primate warfare in Jon Gresham’s Gus
Jon Gresham is the author of Gus: The Life And Opinions Of The Last Raffles’ Banded Langur.
PHOTOS: EPIGRAM BOOKS, RIMA KARIMA
Consider this the Singaporean spin-off of the science-fiction media franchise Planet Of The Apes. In a dystopian near-future, primates are attempting to take over the country as Singapore’s polished veneer crumbles under the Monkey King’s domination of the city’s infrastructure.
An experiment by scientists at the government biomedical research and development centre Biopolis, funded by various sovereign wealth funds and a Shenzhen billionaire, caused monkeys to acquire human language.
Multinational deals, zoo escapes and international shipping all lead to the dissemination of this “virile eloquent lot”.
Book review: The Emperor Of The City’s post-apocalyptic world lacks suspense and momentum
Mark Chin is the author of The Emperor Of The City.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF MARK CHIN, PARTRIDGE PUBLISHING
In a world where society has collapsed, an unnamed man – a millionaire who lives on the top floors of a tower on Russian Hill Island – is struggling to survive. His neighbours, the Leibowitz family, intend to leave for New York and his surroundings look more perilous than ever.
Not long after, the man discovers Mr Leibowitz lying face up in the water. “The fish have nibbled at his milky eyes and his bloated lips.”
The city is rife with squatters, gangs, meth addicts, graffiti, trash, abandoned corners and general entropy.
The man himself does not want to be perceived. Readers learn later that he has killed a member of the Piranhas gang and is on the run, but the fact is revealed only after chapters of immersive detail on how he hides, falls asleep, gets attacked, blacks out and steals from the Leibowitzs’ apartment to eke out a life in this post-apocalyptic world.
The Straits Times’ Weekly Bestsellers June 15
PHOTOS: DOUBLEDAY, BLOOMSBURY PUBLISHING, SCHOLASTIC
Baek Se-hee’s second book I Want To Die But I Still Want To Eat Tteokbokki debuts at No. 1 on the non-fiction list.
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