Revolt of the Lamebren - The Super Dome Chronicles by Manjiri Prabhu

I have always run away from science fiction, mainly because I feel that my brain is not wired to enjoy it. However, ‘Revolt of the Lamebren’ by Manjiri Prabhu uncrossed those wires because I did read the book, and I did enjoy it as well.

The novel opens in the engineered Ace-World of the Altklugs, hassle-free and disease-free, where there is zero tolerance for wastage of time, “a world of limitless possibilities and perfection”.

 What, then, mars this seemingly perfect world? On the other side exist the lamebren, a word coined from lamebrain, a species pitiable, helpless and unaware of their fate. They cower under the tyranny of the super-intelligent Altklugs, with no control over their miserable lives.

It is into this world that G 23, a brilliant lamebirl who prefers to call herself Zinnia, is thrown. A square peg in a round hole, Zinnia is a true heroine, who refuses to knuckle down to the Altklugs, and her brave struggle for justice and survival is the theme of this book.

Zinnia moves forward, giving names to her comrades who answer to mere numbers. Her fortitude shines through as she keeps the Lamebren gang together “like the split crystals of a snowflake – split yet connected.”

As the novel progresses, the Altklug world is portrayed and contrasted brilliantly against that of the Lamebren. Perfection versus imperfection, knowledge versus flesh, bones and feelings!

What role does love play in this mechanical world? What is the price that lovers pay? What happens to the lamebren when they outlive their utility and what secrets are the Altklugs trying to hide? How does Zinnia pit her wits against those of her Altklug rulers and does she come out victorious? These, and many more interesting questions, are answered in this book which hurtles to its end, taking the readers along.

Manjiri Prabhu creates a world in her own right, one that talks of skyways, padlets, mudra, memory porters, isolation chambers, sky radars, the digi-eye and the terrifying Dissolution Crypt. What struck me was the way she uses contrasts to transport the reader away from this passionless world, leading them along the beautiful Paramour Path and the Dome Museum. There is a mesmerizing description of the Water Vein tunnel, where “the blend of colour, shimmering water and white stone was graceful and ethereal.”

While an overtone of fear runs through the whole book, it is highlighted in the descriptions of the Snarl or the Deep Forest, “raw, unpolished and wild and a little frightening too.” However, it is here that a ray of hope shines forth that helps the revolt to culminate in a thrilling climax. The Altklug do not “understand the melodious, touching music of love and life.” Manjiri Prabhu ensures that her readers, through the persona of Zinnia and the lamebren, do so.

‘Revolt of the Lamebren’ is a well-crafted book written by a writer who has mastered the art of balance. She spins a tale that keeps the interest of the reader, and their hope, alive!