The Thinning by Inga Simpson
A powerful, atmospheric dystopian set in the near future as the world is on the brink of environmental collapse.
The natural world is collapsing. The Great Barrier Reef has died. The Great Artisan Basin is contaminated beyond hope, mass extinctions are common and human fertility rates are falling.
The Thinning follows Fin, the daughter of astronomers, who witnesses the stars fading as the night sky becomes brighter with light pollution. Fin and her family are fighting to adapt to the drastically changing world when they discover the government has a plan for all females of reproductive age to be subject to fertility testing. To avoid this fate, Fin is pulled out of school and the family escape into the bush. Scraping through life in an off-grid community, they mix with other climate refuges including Incompletes, a new genus of humans evolved for life indoors staring at screens.
Fin’s mother sends Fin and another teen, Terry, an Incomplete, on a secret mission trekking through the bush to observe a solar eclipse, during which they must send a laser signal back to the camp. Not only must the pair struggle through the inhospitable bush and the punishing tertian, they must also evade the authorities hunting Terry. The journey through the ancient landscape affects Fin, causing flashbacks to her childhood in Warrumbungle National Park and the Pilliga forest. After experiencing the eclipse, Fin asks the profound question: “What if we could see a way to make a new world, where all beings, no matter how fragile, could thrive?”
The Thinning is a thought-provoking dystopian page turner which captures the beauty of the Australian landscape and our unique night sky. Fans of Tim Winton’s Juice will love this book.
Reviewed by Chris, Business Support Officer Request a copy of The Thinning by Inga Simpson