Corporate fformula.
Most books by Jasper Fforde contain a huge, consumerist, extremely powerful multinational corporation (in one series it is called Consolidated Useful Stuff, and produces lots of "cheap and shabby goods"). With social programs for the workers, comprehensive range of products and even their own media and intelligence agencies. Of course, they want to keep that power and to have more, and manage to do it fairly bloodlessly, with propaganda and bribery at crucial points. But the protagonist always gets in trouble with the corporation, because they are honest and stumble by chance onto the evil plot... After lots more trouble, they are saved by something approaching a miracle, the plot is derailed, but the corporation is not defeated. It simply fires those responsible and flourishes all the same, and not even its reputation is injured in the slightest.
All of which does not imply that Fforde's books are not good to read and/or all the same. I rather think that he just feels strongly about the whole corporate issue.
And the only book which does not have a corporation - Shades of Grey - is dystopian, pure and simple.
All of which does not imply that Fforde's books are not good to read and/or all the same. I rather think that he just feels strongly about the whole corporate issue.
And the only book which does not have a corporation - Shades of Grey - is dystopian, pure and simple.