The Nobody People
by Bob Proehl
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Pub Date 8 Sep 2020 | Archive Date 8 Sep 2020
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Description
When a group of outcasts with extraordinary abilities comes out of hiding, their clash with a violent society will spark a revolution—or an apocalypse.
Avi Hirsch has always known his daughter was different. But when others with incredible, otherworldly gifts reveal themselves to the world, Avi realizes that her oddness is something more—that she is something more. With this, he has a terrifying revelation: Emmeline is now entering a society where her unique abilities unfairly mark her as a potential threat. And even though he is her father, Avi cannot keep her safe forever.
Emmeline soon meets others just like her: Carrie Norris, a teenage girl who can turn invisible . . . but just wants to be seen. Fahima Deeb, a woman with an uncanny knack for machinery . . . but it’s her Muslim faith that makes the U.S. government suspicious of her.
They are the nobody people—ordinary individuals with extraordinary gifts who want one only thing: to live as equals in an America that is gripped by fear and hatred. But the government is passing discriminatory laws. Violent mobs are taking to the streets. And one of their own—an angry young man seething with self-loathing—has used his power in an act of mass violence that has put a new target on the community. The nobody people must now stand together and fight for their future, or risk falling apart. The first book of a timely two-part series,
The Nobody People is a powerful novel of love and hope in the face of bigotry that uses a world touched by the fantastic to explore our current reality. It is a story of family and community. It is a story of continuing to fight for one another, no matter the odds. It is the story of us.
Advance Praise
“[A] complex novel about the cost of being different . . . The characters are intricately human, each rendered in minute and thoughtful detail that pushes back against stereotypes. . . . [The Nobody People] leaves the reader eagerly awaiting the next installment.”
Publishers Weekly
“Proehl masterfully uses science fiction as a lens to examine social inequality and human evil; readers will find it hard to believe that they’re not actually looking into the near future.”
Booklist
“Thoughtful, nuanced, kinetic, and, above all, human, this is the superhero story we've been waiting for.”
Seanan McGuire, New York Times bestselling author of the October Daye series
“Smart, exciting, lyrical, and fun. This astonishing book brings the superhero universe of Marvel or DC into our own, with all its rough edges and ugliness. Once you start reading, you won't be able to stop.”
Sam J. Miller, Nebula Award winning author of Blackfish City
“The epitome of a page-turner, with well-drawn-out characters, tense set pieces, and a cinematic feel.”
John Marrs, bestselling author of The Good Samaritan
“The Nobody People smashes the ordinary and the extraordinary together for an electric story of modern-day America. Proehl's strong narrative voice, his complex characters working to survive in a world that fears them, and the conflict and empowerment that comes when you must stand up for who you are all turn The Nobody People into a thrilling story, one that will certainly resonate with its readers long after they finish.”
Martin Cahill, author of Godmeat
“Bob Proehl brings striking realism to this extraordinary story, delving into the notion of otherness with nuance and complexity. With an ensemble cast of badass, cool-as-hell, and deeply human characters, The Nobody People is a super-fun ride and a timely tale of love, hate, and everything in between.”
Sylvain Neuvel, author of the Themis Files
“Bob Proehl is one of those authors you can trust to guide you out of your comfort zone. The Nobody People is a gripping, haunting, and complex book, perfect for our times. It will take you on a warrior’s journey. In fact, I'm reminded of something Gandalf said to Bilbo at the outset of The Hobbit: '...if you do [come back], you won't be the same.'”
Michael Poore, author of Reincarnation Blues
Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9781789094619 |
| PRICE | £8.99 (GBP) |
Featured Reviews
Rachel B, Reviewer
I really, really enjoyed reading this book! It sets out a world, not unlike our own, where 'Resonants', people born wuth varying abilities exist.
As usual, non-Resonants or 'Damps', plain old humans to you and me, kill and drive out what they don't undestand, so the world at large is unaware of both Resonants and that's the way they like it. They all have unique abilities, the one thing they have in common is being able to transport themselves to an almost alternate dimension known as 'The Hive', here. a man named Bishop, not unlike Professor X, has created a safe space, an Academy, where Resonants who tend to activate their abilities when reaching their teens, can firstly become aware that they are not alone, and secondly be offered access to the Academy, where they can learn to control their skills.
It sounds altruistic and sensible, but Bishop is no X, he maintains the population control of Resonants as the more of them there are in one place, the more their powes amplify. They are trying to be stable and known in a world which fears and dreads anything which resembles being more than human.
Into this world comes Avi, a reporter whose story chasing days have decreased to once a year following the loss of his leg in a bombing. His marriage already in knots, torn between his need to track down stories as well as look after his child, Emmeline.When he is apporoached to investigate the bombing of a black church, close to home, he jumps at the chance.
A relatively 'safe' story, he finds himself caught up in the world of the Resonants as well as the FBI , who have noticed on the security recordings that it was not necessarily a bomb that destroyed the church. At the same time , Bishop has decided that Avi is exactly who he wants to break the story of the Resonants before they are discovered to be a potential threat to the world. For someone close to home has pinged Bishop's radar and he is going to need all the help he can get...
A really great opening to a series, I was so excited to find that this is not just a one off novel! inevitable comparisons to the X Men aside, I felt this is a nuanced tale of what it means to be human, more than human and how society treats its outsiders. From the shocking prologue through every gripping page, Bob Proehl has created characters who are flawed, well intentioned, complex and incredibly relatable. It is a thoroughly enjoyable read and I loved it.
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