The novel Opona is an existential dystopia with elements of a mystery thriller by the author of the popular short story collection Hod the Dead Swan
The protagonist, a successful owner of an artificial intelligence company, books a family trip to the darkest days of Stalinism to cure his daughter of her leftism. The organising agency promises to experience the 1950s, i.e. political processes, collectivisation of agriculture, slave labour in the mines and theatre plays.
The enclave of dictatorship lies in a small town somewhere in the East, inhabited only by hired actors and extras. However, the game of the past gradually escalates and the town becomes a trap. The narrative, full of absurdity, sarcasm and twists, raises questions: Where is a man willing to yield to totalitarianism? What is he willing to sacrifice for his own survival? And how much do they even desire freedom? Curtain combines a strong story with a serious theme, and the spice is a gently dosed wit.
Tyre is the second book by Ondřej Hubl. He debuted with short stories Throw of the Dead Swan (2018) with original stories and a sense of dark humour.