THE STATE TRILOGY A-Z GUIDE: O

My A-Z theme this year is a guide to my trilogy of novels called ‘The State Trilogy’. Set in an unnamed island country known only as ‘The State’, in the imagined near future, the books follow the intertwining stories of a number of characters, principally a State police detective named Danny Samson and an assassin, Gabriella Marino, over a period of six years. It begins with the assassination of an elected official and spirals into revolution and civil war. Part political thriller, action story, war story and dystopian science fiction, the trilogy took three years to complete and the books are available to read now – you can find links to purchase them HERE

In The State Trilogy, ‘O’ stands for:

Oppression: At the heart of everything in the State is the oppressed population, the citizens who are controlled by the ruling party under the pretence of being free. The power of political rule, the ongoing First Strike War and the civil war that erupts are all forms of this oppression. The citizens have been oppressed for so long that they no longer possess the will to break or resist it. Even when the rebels rally them to fight back, the vast majority choose not to. Only when the final, full extent of their oppression and the corruption of their leaders becomes apparent, do they manage to break those bonds. The oppression takes place on several levels, from laws which make it illegal to gather in large groups under the guise of the threat of terrorism, to the outlawing of things like alcohol. The control of the media is also used alongside the law, and the restriction on dissent and rival political opposition. It is Danny and Gabriella’s passion to free and protect the citizens from this oppression that they share, and which runs through their actions throughout the books. Phillips also shares their passion, but chooses a different path in trying to free the citizens from it.

Next up – P is for: Politics, Phillips, Publishing and Promotion, Power, Patrick Donovan and Pandemic

All the entries in the A-Z of ‘The State Trilogy’ can be found HERE

The books are available from a wide selection of online retailers, including AMAZON

25 responses to “THE STATE TRILOGY A-Z GUIDE: O”

  1. […] Next up – O is for: Oppression […]

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  2. LOL. I am really glad that Danny is going to turn against the oppression hopefully sooner than later. The technology in your world is so interesting but I keep wanting to be like come on man, you have to realize how creepy this all is. Everyone is being monitored all the time and if you don’t agree to be monitored then you’re automatically suspect, what? I know, different social context, but also a little too close to reality in terms of the way many people already think. I do like how he’s trying to question his world a little already though, sometimes very literally when asking actual questions. This reminds me of so many real-life situations where you suddenly realize.
    Oh my gosh, everyone here is lying. They all know that they are all lying. People lie ALL the time. No wonder we’re all so stressed out all the time hoping no one figures it out. When everyone knows. Definitely getting all of that. Have a great weekend!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks Anne – sounds like you’re getting all the themes running through the novel – I deliberately wanted it to seem plausible – like we are being watched all the time, monitored – and what if a government decided to use that information for something not so good… Have a great weekend too!

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  3. Hari Om
    “The oppression takes place on several levels, from laws which make it illegal to gather in large groups”…”media is also used alongside the law, and the restriction on dissent and rival political opposition”… You heard it first in The State Trilogy – now it is front-page news in the 21st century! YAM xx

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    1. I am quite pleased I wrote it before the pandemic LOL- as I say in ‘P’, sometimes you get lucky in writing about the future, but I didn’t expect some of it to come true so soon (although for different reasons – no pandemic in my books!).

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  4. Sounds eerily similar to current state in US, except for the alcohol part. I also wonder what it will take for people to stand up and take action beyond thoughts in their minds.

    My “O” song:

    A2Z 2021 Jethro Tull Songs Day 15 Old Ghosts (from Stormwatch) (1979)

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Good, that’s what I was looking to reflect! Yep, I feel we are on the brink of people having a mass revolt – Trump almost inspired it for all the wrong reasons. What next I wonder?

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  5. I think you touched on a very good point: the fact that oppressed people need the extra reason to rebel. Oppression takes the fight away from you, that’s very true.

    @JazzFeathers
    The Old Shelter – The Great War

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  6. I thought the same as Yamini when I read those words. Little did you know, huh? Or did you?

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    1. I wish I did, but just a guess!

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  7. I hope our reality doesn’t continue to mirror the direction of your dystopian world. While I’m sure wonderful to read about, I’m not sure I’d want to live through it especially when the heart of the story is oppression. Weekends In Maine

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I agree – I wrote it, but I didn’t want it to become the reality! 🙂

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  8. With the population seeing oppression as normal, I wonder if Danny and Gabriella’s mission is a lost cause.

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    1. Yes, I think I was quite realistic in showing how much a population is willing to submit to without so much as a murmur!!

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  9. Looks like Phillips is the good guy 😉

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  10. Looks like Phillips is the good guy ;))

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  11. Oppression really sums up dystopias. They all have it in form or another.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Definitely a necessary ingredient. Thanks Shari.

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  12. Are they also not allowed to vote if they only have a PO Box, but only allowed to have a PO Box as an address if they want the “privilege” of living among their people? Any sacred landmarks getting carved up? Toss a pipeline in and break it, and man… “fiction” basically comes to life, doesn’t it?

    Great job!

    J Lenni Dorner~ Co-host of the #AtoZchallenge, Debut Author Interviewer, Reference& Speculative Fiction Author

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    1. Thank you – both satisfying and horrifying when your fictional dystopia starts to mirror reality!

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  13. This is a very interesting concept and oppression is already a reality and it is a good way to bring attention to it.

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    1. Thank you Jazmin, I was hoping to reflect some of the modern world in the books.

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  14. Passivity of the population reflected in the current situation. I try to avoid public political commentary, but our PM’s current popularity rating is utterly incomprehensible.

    A-Zing from Fiction Can Be Fun
    Normally found at Debs Despatches

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    1. It’s a dangerous way to go online. I do give in to the odd comment now and then, but everyone is so polarised that it usually ends badly. Best to keep one’s own council most of the time.

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