Armen Victorian
Vision Paperbacks, London, 1999, £9.99
With the addition of a four new essays, this books contains the writing of Armen Victorian published in Lobster since his first essay appeared in Lobster 23 in 1992 (and issues 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 30, 31, 32, 32, 34 and 36). Most welcome of the new material is two chapters recounting the microwave bombardment and subsequent death of the Verneys in Kent. The other new material consists of short chapters – little more than sketches – on implants and hypnosis.
Published in book form this material appears more dense, more difficult in places and more depressing than it did in isolated essays. The underlying message is clear and alarming: if governments give military- or intelligence agency-sponsored scientists large amounts of money and no political control they will eventually come up with technologies with which to control the behaviour and thinking of their civilian populations.
Vision’s production standards have improved considerably since the mess they made of my Prawn Cocktail Party last year. Pity about the stupid cover image on this one.