Advertisement
Books

Extremophile by Ian Green review – an anarchic and grimy power all of its own

Ian Green draws themes from our own troubled world to shape his tale of everyday people fighting the system of faceless corporate greed

Scottish author Ian Green is best known for a bestselling epic fantasy series, but his first science fiction novel, Extremophile, has an anarchic and grimy power all of its own. Falling loosely into the cyberpunk and dystopian sub-genres, the book is set in a near-future London on the brink of climate collapse.

Charlie and Parker are in a punk band by night and biohackers by day, not exactly legitimate, but with their hearts kind of in the right place. A group of extremist green activists hire them to perform some very dodgy jobs, and they are drawn into an extremely dangerous world. 

Extremophile has a considerable amount of anger simmering across its pages, and the depiction of the state of the world is brilliant and visceral. It’s apt that the central pair of characters are in a punk band, as there is a punk rock attitude to both the story and the prose, a manic energy and black comedy that drag the reader along to a compelling finale.

The theme of everyday people fighting against the system, against massive, faceless corporate greed that has destroyed the planet, is clear and palpable. But there is subtlety in this novel too, and Green does a great job of eking out the emotional connection between his central characters and the reader. 

Doug Johnstone is an author and journalist.

Extremophileby Ian Green is out now (Head of Zeus, £20).You can buy it from The Big Issue shop on bookshop.org, which helps to support The Big Issue and independent bookshops.
Do you have a story to tell or opinions to share about this? Get in touch and tell us moreBig Issue exists to give homeless and marginalised people the opportunity to earn an income. To support our work buy a copy of the magazine or get the app from the App Store or Google Play.

Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty
Advertisement
Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty

READER-SUPPORTED SINCE 1991

Reader-supported journalism that doesn’t just report problems, it helps solve them.

Recommended for you

Read All
Big Issue's greatest interviews in history published in a collection for the first time
big issue the great interviews cover
Big Issue

Big Issue's greatest interviews in history published in a collection for the first time

Top 5 seafaring books, chosen by award-winning writer Carolyn Kirby
Books

Top 5 seafaring books, chosen by award-winning writer Carolyn Kirby

Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy review – words of wisdom
Books

Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy review – words of wisdom

House of Day, House of Night by Olga Tokarczuk review – mushrooming magic
Books

House of Day, House of Night by Olga Tokarczuk review – mushrooming magic

Most Popular

Read All
Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits
Renters: A mortgage lender's window advertising buy-to-let products
1.

Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal
Pound coins on a piece of paper with disability living allowancve
2.

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal

Cost of living payments: Where to get help in 2025 now the scheme is over
next dwp cost of living payment 2023
3.

Cost of living payments: Where to get help in 2025 now the scheme is over

Citroën Ami: the tiny electric vehicle driving change with The Big Issue
4.

Citroën Ami: the tiny electric vehicle driving change with The Big Issue