Title: The Mask-Gen Chronicles
Author: Jayaraj Thoppil
Publisher: Leadstart
Genre: Mystery Thriller
First Publication: 2022
Language: English
Book Summary: The Mask-Gen Chronicles by Jayaraj Thoppil
An uncanny juncture where humans are turning the earth into a graveyard! No one knows whether it is a misstep or a measured attempt…
When everyone terms it as an unforeseen onset of a pandemic, a young man, Brahm, dreams of it as an expected arrival of an avatar called ‘Coronavirus’, here to clean up the world of its present mess of unethical practices.
Brahm reaches his hometown to drop off his parents who were visiting him and his newly wedded wife, Mary. Stuck in the small town, unable to return to his wife in NCR, Brahm persuades his close friend, Ratna, an aspiring author, to write an epic on the deadly incarnation he envisions; mainly to alleviate his boredom of the unprecedented time ahead. Mary, a virologist, decides to help.
However, as the epic progresses, it takes Ratna to a concealed crime file, which seems to point its finger right back at Brahm!
As an entire generation is stuck in a situation masked with time, and is turning into the so called ‘Mask-Gen’, is there more to all this than meets the eye?
Book Review: The Mask-Gen Chronicles by Jayaraj Thoppil
Novels whose premise strips away the world as we know it can be tricky territory. In their natural state, they may be too dramatic, preachy, and laden with weighty existential concerns like the meaning of life and death that leave little space for reflection. Or they can be like “The Mask-Gen Chronicles.” Quiet. Dark. Elegiac. Sparkling from the inside out, like an enigmatic firefly. Unhurried. Steeped in small acts and evocative landscapes. Lonely. Elegant. Radiant. Heartbroken.
Mask-Gen Chronicles by Jayaraj Thoppil begins with Brahm boarding a plane to his home town in order to drop off his parents, who were in town to visit him and his newlywed wife, Mary. A nationwide lockdown had been imposed, trapping everyone in their homes and leaving Brahm unable to reach back to his wife in the NCR. He is filled with regret about the choice he made to accompany his parents on their trip back to their homeland.
Brahm has a reoccurring nightmare in which the Corona virus appears as an avatar and embarks on a mission to clean up the mess that has been produced by unethical behavior all throughout the planet. Brahm, frustrated by his confined situation in the little village, convinces Ratna, an emerging writer, to pen an epic about the dreadful incarnation he envisions, mostly to stave off the monotony of the unparalleled time ahead. Mary, who is a virologist, makes the decision to assist. As the story develops, though, Ratna discovers a secret criminal file that seems to put the finger back at Brahm. Is there more to this than meets the eye, given that a whole generation is trapped in a circumstance that has been veiled by time and is gradually becoming the “Mask-Gen”?
This remarkable book presents yet another fascinating interpretation of a post-apocalyptic world in which ordinary people must define humanity for themselves. It is not enough to just survive because, in order to be truly alive, an individual has to make decisions that define who they are and where they belong in the world. In addition to this, Mask-Gen Chronicles acts as a gentle nudge to remind us that we are obligated to contribute to the betterment of the world in some way beyond just ensuring our own survival.
Reading this book made me feel appreciative and at the same time it gave me a sorrowful sense. It might be heartbreaking at times, but ultimately it is joyfully expressive. Even after the collapse of society, humans will find a way to live, for better or worse. I appreciate how the author crafts a narrative that centers on finding hope in the most difficult of times, focusing on the humanities and the resilience of the human spirit. As a result of Jayaraj Thoppil’s language being so alluringly simple and lovely, this book is one that you should consider reading when you are in need of a wake-up call or some optimism in difficult circumstances.
