4 out of 5 stars
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Aurumia by Robert Millon is a novel that features a bizarre expedition of three men. It starts with a young guy, Stephen Mazard, who approaches the narrator to ask for an investment. Strangely, it is not an investment in stocks or real estate. Steve's target is a lost civilization, and he wants to explore these unknown lands for his book.
Intrigued by Steve's tale, Bob immediately insists on tagging along. With George, Bob's friend, the three of them set out on their journey. What shall they find in Aurumia and Sklabosia, the mysterious nations hidden from our modern world? What is Steve's real objective? Will the group suffer the same fate as their predecessors, those who never returned from these lands?
Borrowing two fictional countries, the author skillfully satirizes our current American society and politics. Aurumia has a force, the Fanatical Backlashers’ International, in charge of monitoring people and gathering information. The only party authorized to participate in elections is the Conservative Revolutionary Action Party. You can guess what the author is trying to say from the initials of its name. Despite their advanced technologies, Aurumians appear to be vulgar barbarians. The way the Pinkies treat the Purples clearly demonstrates the racism that has been persistently plaguing the nation. Their unpleasant custom is strongly supported by an association called the Knights of the Knot and Knife. Again, the abbreviation forms an infamous name. These puns are one of my favorite aspects.
Surprisingly, the lost world is very similar to our world. There are conflicts everywhere, and things are even more ridiculous than you can imagine. Making themselves a carpet is how Sklabosians show their respect toward other people, so a leader will casually step on the bodies of his subordinates without care. The national dish of Aurumia is (literally) a hot dog, consisting of the cooked tail of a puppy stuffed in a bun. Of course, the fate of the dogs won't be better than their tails. That reminds me of foie gras and the cruelty of humankind. Personally, I find these details disturbing.
On the downside, since I found quite a number of missing hyphens and other punctuation mistakes, I suggest another round of proofreading. The poor editing is the reason why I have to deduct a star. I'm unable to give this copy the highest rating, so I will give it 4 out of 5 stars. If you disagree with modern capitalism and its problems, you will want to see how the author criticizes them.
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Aurumia
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