Deem

Deem
Barry Tomkins
Zumaya Publications
ISBN: 1-55410-278-5
Fiction, Science Fiction, Fantasy
Reviewed by Qetesh

Orlando’s kitchen shakes and dishes clatter and rattle from the shockwave of explosions in the distance. He has lived through something like this before. The setting is in the 24th century after aliens have come and left the gift, an inexhaustible power source. The populace of Deem lives inside a huge climate controlled dome. The city is a modern utopia. There is plenty of everything to live a completely serene life. Food and energy are in vast abundance. Small villages surround the outskirts of Deem. These villages are filled with people who have traveled great distances in hopes of being chosen to live within the city.
When Orlando’s mother is killed in a terrorist bombing, he decides to leave behind his life as a poet and ex-teacher to embark upon a journey to find out who or why someone would want to destroy Deem. I found this book to be a very unique look at the future and what might happen if aliens contacted us. The society that grows up inside the dome, is educated and a stark contrast to the people who live on the outskirts. These people live off the land and have learned to survive in a similar way that the pioneers lived. I loved the way that the characters remembered the Earth of their childhood, and reveled in their memories of nature, forests, and wild things. Barry Tomkins has created a very fascinating world that will draw you into its drama, it is riveting and unforgettable.