#84. ARSLAN By M J Engh

Published : 1975
Pages : 303
Overall Mark : 7/10

General Arslan sweeps into Kraftsville, Illinois as the conqueror of America and Russia, which is no small achievement for a warlord from the tiny state of Turkistan. And then the charismatic and utterly ruthless Arslan sets about changing the world from his base in the town. For Franklin Bond, the principal of the Kraftsville school, this is the beginning of a crash course in power, politics, compromise and ambivalence. For Hunt Morgan, one of his students, it's a lesson in humiliation, subjugation... and love.

M J. ENGH (1933-)
As well a being a science-fiction writer, Mary Jane Engh is also a Roman scholar. Her other works of science fiction include Rainbow Man and Wheels Of The Winds and she is also the author of, among others, In The Name Of Heaven: 300 Years Of Religious Persecution. In 2009 she was named Author Emerita by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.

VERDICT
This is an impressive work that is even more relevent today than it was when it was originally published. The book almost expertly shows both sides of the story, and it's very rare that we are forced to take sides at any time. This Dystopian (or Utopian - depending on your point of view) novel is forceful and passionate and makes for interesting and uncomfortable reading.