A ROUGH TRADE BOOK OF THE YEAR
2023: A Trilogy by The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu is an audacious, genre-defying narrative that blends speculative fiction, countercultural myth, and political satire into a surreal literary experience. Framed as the latest iteration of an age-old, end-of-days story passed down through the mysterious Justified Ancients, this trilogy reimagines the apocalypse with an eccentric mix of dystopian flair and utopian possibility.
Set in a near-future world and written from a past perspective, the tale unfolds as Cauty & Drummond?undertakers by trade?stumble upon a bizarre memoir titled Back in the USSR during a tour of the Scottish Isles in 2013. The memoir, allegedly authored by “Gimpo,” traces a nurse?s journey from the Falklands War to Soviet-era Ukraine, where she encounters the enigmatic Tat?jana and Kristina, figures said to operate under the alias “The KLF.” These characters appear deeply entangled with shadowy literature, pseudonyms, and alternate histories?including a version of George Orwell who is, in fact, a woman named Roberta Antonia Wilson.
Mysterious disappearances, submerged submarines, literary hoaxes, and conspiratorial undertones weave together to form a bizarre metafictional tale. With its playful manipulation of truth and fiction, and layers of cultural references, 2023: A Trilogy is as much a puzzle as it is a story?cryptic, darkly humorous, and wildly imaginative. Fans of experimental narratives and cult literature will find this a provocative and unforgettable read.