Britain is in the grip of a right wing government whose harsh economic policies are causing untold hardship for the population. Meanwhile, immigrants, fleeing war, are flooding into the country, resulting in social instability and a dramatic rise in racist sentiment. Does that sound familiar? Does it sound like 2016? Yup, but Christopher Priest’s FUGUE FOR A DARKENING ISLAND (his second published novel) was written in 1973, making it a remarkably prescient work of fiction. Here, the immigrants are Africans, and their unstoppable influx results in a three-sided civil war. There is racism, of course, and it’s difficult to digest (mostly due to outdated terminology), but actually no more unpalatable than the assumptions and ill-concealed prejudices on display in contemporary newspapers, and here it’s at least justified by the story. I was fascinated by the novel’s relevance and plausibility, and by the fact that Priest has, since this edition, heavily revised it. I’d be interested in reading the newer version, just to see what he thought needed changing (aside from the obvious politically incorrect language). Overall, this is a traumatic study of a disintegrating country and the crumbling psyche of the lead character. Brilliant and disturbing.