The Spider in the Laurel (Rafael Ward) - Softcover

Pogach, Michael

4.4

89 ratings by Goodreads

9781946025449: The Spider in the Laurel (Rafael Ward)

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1946025445 ISBN 13: 9781946025449

Publisher: Mystique Press, 2018

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In Tomorrow's America, Belief is the New Enemy. Even a Silent Prayer can get you Black-Bagged. In the Citizen's Republic of America, religion is outlawed. Historian Rafael Ward is a good citizen, teaching students the government approved narrative of the nation's history. But when he is tasked by Relic Enforcement Command with destroying the artifacts he cherishes, he begins to question the regime's motives and soon finds himself caught up in a secret revolution. It will take the uncompromising faith of an outlaw Believer as an ally, and the acceptance of his guilt for his mother's death, to help Ward break free of the government's yoke. If he's lucky, he might also prevent an apocalyptic future for which his secular world is completely unprepared. The Spider in the Laurel questions the methods of both governmental authority and those attempting to subvert the status quo. It presents two unique visions: a new, never-before-heard fairy tale; and an alternate creation mythos inspired by Genesis and other ancient and Dark Age mythologies. ***** "A fascinating dystopian tale from one of speculative fiction's rising stars." C.T. Phipps, author of Lucifer’s Star "Michael Pogach’s debut novel THE SPIDER IN THE LAUREL plays with conventions of the thriller genre in a post-religion dystopia that thrusts history professor Rafe Ward into a global scavenger hunt for religious relics that aren’t supposed to exist. Pogach deftly breathes life into his characters, including and into vivid American and European locales while maintaining a non-stop pace that has Rafe questioning everything he knows as he struggles to survive." Amara Royce, author of NEVER TOO LATE, ALWAYS A STRANGER, and ONCE BELOVED

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About the Author:

Michael Pogach is the author of the dystopian thriller Rafael Ward series: THE SPIDER IN THE LAUREL (a 2018 Kindle Book Award finalist) and THE LONG OBLIVION, as well as the chapbook Zero to Sixty, and a number of short stories. His work has been called "refreshing" and "gritty and graphic."

He has spoken, and conducted workshops, on the writing craft at Arcadia University, Borough of Manhattan Community College, The Doylestown Bookshop, the AWP Conference & Bookfair, and more.

When not mooching free WiFi from Starbucks, Michael teaches literature and creative writing in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley.
michaelpogach.com

Review:

"There are a lot of faith-centric dystopian novels out there, so it is interesting to see what a atheistic-centric dystopia might look like. Couple these thought-provoking moments with some well-crafted action, in-depth world building, and interesting characters, and the end result is an excellent debut novel from an exciting new author" (Ryan Lawler, FantasyBookReview.com)

"Michael Pogach's debut novel THE SPIDER IN THE LAUREL plays with conventions of the thriller genre in a post-religion dystopia that thrusts history professor Rafe Ward into a global scavenger hunt for religious relics that aren't supposed to exist. Pogach deftly breathes life into his characters, including and into vivid American and European locales while maintaining a non-stop pace that has Rafe questioning everything he knows as he struggles to survive."--Amara Royce, author of NEVER TOO LATE, ALWAYS A STRANGER, and ONCE BELOVED

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.