Kerstin Hall has shared this superb review of THE RAGPICKER by Joel Dane, at Reactor Magazine.
The problem with books that delve into the Power of KindnessTM is that, more often than not, they end up actually delving into the Power of Saccharinity. Not so with The Ragpicker. This is not a ‘nice’ book. It is, in fact, occasionally astonishingly violent. But for all that it is clear-sighted in the face of horror and ugliness, it remains passionately optimistic regarding the potential of unorthodox relationships and connections. It revels in humanity’s capacity for tenderness, especially towards that which is broken and fragile.
KERSTIN HALL | REACTOR MAG
A Miraculous Apocalypse: The Ragpicker by Joel Dane
The Ragpicker
The Ragpicker wanders the lush, deserted Earth, haunted by failing avatars and fragmented texts. He’s searching for traces of his long-dead husband but his journey is interrupted by a girl, Ysmany, fleeing her remote village. Together they cross the flourishing, treacherous landscape towards sanctuary. Yet the signals and static of the previous age echo in the Ragpicker’s mind and whisper in the girl’s dreams, drawing them toward the gap between map and territory—while offering precious hope.
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