Zodiac States
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Product Details
Publisher: Towpath Books
Release Date: April 12, 2019
Formats: Paperback, Ebook
ISBN: PB: 978-1-7335271-0-1; EB: 978-1-7335271-1-8
Trim: 5.5 x 8.5
Page Count: 298
William Stalker
Welcome to Universe Island, an eclectic realm where people venture to begin new lives off the grid.
In order to help his wayward girlfriend, Sylvia Darling, college student Jack Rivers must journey to mysterious Universe Island.
Sylvia’s flighty, recently divorced mother, Jean, escapes to this remote isle, with her daughter in tow, desperately believing she will find her true community there. Upon his arrival, Jack is set to search the island, which is divided into twelve states, each one based on a zodiac sign. Strangely enough, the citizens of Universe Island are categorized into these communities based solely on the signs under which they were born.
Each state has its own unique culture. Those who reside in Aquarius reinvent the drug and hippy culture, and those in Scorpio believe their actions are controlled by aliens. The members of Capricorn live as reclusive hunter-gatherers, while the citizens of Sagittarius relive the romantic days of princesses and chivalrous knights. The twelve states are codependent on one another, but each state considers itself the most superior faction. As Jack embarks on a wild journey to reunite with Sylvia, he finds himself paired with two extremely different traveling companions: an ex–Navy Seal and a reverend. Along the way, they encounter extraordinary characters, an earthquake, and a scarring war between the states. Join Jack on this satirical expedition through the Zodiac States, as he witnesses firsthand the different perspectives of unusual societies.
About the Author
William Stalker holds advanced degrees in chemistry and business administration and spent his career in operations and research management. He has long been affiliated with humanist and freethinker organizations and wrote Zodiac States with the hope of showing the value of critical thinking in daily life. A native of northeast Ohio, he now resides with his wife in South Carolina. Zodiac States is his first novel.
Reviews
“Brilliant satire pokes fun at politics, socioeconomic interdependence, and the Zodiac . . . The theme of matching something as complex as the human personality with something as arbitrary as a sign of the Zodiac is found in William Stalker’s clever satire Zodiac States. Zodiac States satirizes several things like . . . human classification, segregation, gun use . . . and just about everything else in between. No concept is safe from Stalker’s biting wit.” —Julie Sara Porter, Bookworm Reviews