Thrilling, terrifying and beautifully crafted, The Offset is the perfect science-fiction novel for our times. I devoured it. Angela Saini, author of Inferior
"Smart, compelling and absolutely of the moment. A truly elegant debut." Luke Jennings, author of the Killing Eve series
"A powerfully told debut" SFX Magazine
"An honest, terrifying and sincere look into our future." Keren Landsman, Geffen Award-winning author of The Heart of the Circle
"These co-writers have produced a vision of a blighted world where everyone has to make sacrifices for the greater good, personal happiness being the first thing to go." Financial Times
"The Offset s searing critique of anti-natalism could do for eco-fascism what Ninety Eighty-Four did for socialism and Brave New World did for eugenics." Ken MacLeod, Prometheus and BSFA Award-winning author of The Corporation Wars series
"The Offset is spare, elegant, and thought-provoking as the best classic science fiction. Calder Szewczak is a name to watch." Daniel Abraham, co-author of The Expanse
The Offset was a dark and fascinating read a twisted reversal of The Handmaid s Tale set in a ravaged dystopia, simmering with menace and tension. Bleak, haunting and intriguing. Jennifer Saint, Sunday Times bestselling author of Ariadne
"The Offset crushed me. This is an expertly and starkly written, well-drawn eco-dystopian novel about the ultimate measure of austerity taken in order to save the planet. There s so much that was done well here: the world, the science, the societal conflict but to get into the (possibly carnivorous) weeds would distract from soul of this book. It is a bare-knuckle punch to the heart. Calder Szewczak made me suffer brilliantly." Chris Panatier,author of The Phlebotomist
"The Offset is a prophetic, urgent, gripping read that throws into question what saving the world really means. A tender warning of a book, lest our efforts become as futile as our tragedies." Natalia Theodoridou,World Fantasy Award Winner and Nebula Finalist
"Calder Szewczak s The Offset may be a literary first in giving central place to anti-natalism the view that one ought not to create new people. Other novels, like this one, have depicted a dystopian future in the wake of environmental catastrophe. In Margaret Attwood s Handmaid s Tale, the dystopia is pro-natalist. The Offset shows how anti-natalism could also take a dystopian turn. In showing this, it provides a cautionary tale which, if read correctly, is not that anti-natalism itself is in error, but rather that even views aimed at reducing suffering can increase it if fanatics seize control." David Benatar,World-leading anti-natalist and author of Better Never to Have Been
"A chilling evocation of a possible future." - Susannah Wise, acclaimed actress and author of This Fragile Earth
"The Offset is a bleak but thoughtful dystopian sci-fi. It asks questions about where we are & where we are going through intricate world building and a compelling story. Very entertaining, compulsive & thought-provoking." - Kate Sawyer author of The Stranding
"Finished this and now I m slightly broken. If, like me, every so often you just want a bit of beautiful, brutal dystopia this is the one for you! A complex world filled with complex characters that draw the reader in. This is a beautifully written, brutal piece of dystopian fiction that does not shy away from the issues we must face today." - Elizabeth Lee, author of Cunning Women
Calder Szewczak is writing duo Natasha C. Calder and Emma Szewczak, who met while studying at Cambridge. Natasha is a graduate of Clarion West 2018 and her work has previously appeared in The Stinging Fly, Lackington s and Curiosities, amongst others. Emma researches contemporary representations of the Holocaust and has published work with T&T Clark and the Paulist Press.
