Passion Play

G. Nigel Leith is a computer engineer and freelance writer in Sudbury.

Pro-life beliefs enforced through subcontracted killers. Police
incapable of keeping up with the shameful numbers of adulterers—hence
the “freelancers” who ensure that televisions are constantly
bombarded with moral justice. This grim sci-fi novel introduces the
reader to a new dark age notable for its high technology and suffocating
morality. Its premise is that certain individuals can see and feel the
emotions of others—and thus see the truth before others; these
“shapers” enforce the society’s moral standards, as determined by
some quite frightening hypocrites in power. As the main character, Diane
Fletcher, begins to rationalize her career path as a “shaper” or
freelancer, the reader is taken on a rollercoaster ride through the
seamier parts of Stewart’s world.

Passion Play is a fine, well-structured piece of writing that grips the
reader from start to finish. Stewart neither justifies nor condemns his
dystopian world—a sign of maturity in what is already an impressive
achievement for a first novel.