Dark satanic mills by Marcus Sedgwick and Julian Sedgwick
Ill. by John Higgins and Marc Olivent. Walker, 2013. ISBN
9781406329889.
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. Graphic novel, Future,
Fundamentalism, Dystopian novel. With the hymn, Jerusalem,
sparked by the title, a trip to Google to find the whole poem by
William Blake is the first step in reading this dark treatise about
a near future London, where religious fanatics are taking over areas
north of the city. A strong dystopian theme runs through with
illustrations showing a near destroyed city, water lapping over
Trafalgar Square, the water level so high that the Portrait Gallery
is now a ferry stop. Shown with its bombed buildings and impassable
streets, the city shadows the images we see on nightly TV of war
ravaged cities in the Middle East, and when Christy is out after
curfew, she falls foul of the fanatics trying to exert their power
over the population.
So she must run for her life. Implicated now in a murder, she tries
to seek shelter from people she knows, but her presence imperils
them all.
This is a breathless read, stirred on by the black and white
illustrations, often using close up drawings to sharpen the impact
of the horror she sees. The readers will follow Christy's fight
eagerly, watching as gangs of bullies from the True Church
intimidate and beat up those who question. The parallels to today's
society are obvious, as Fundamentalists strike at the seat of power,
gaining credibility and prestige amongst those opting for a safer
future.
The road north brings Christy and now, Alex, into Birmingham with
its gangs of thugs, the Anti-Sci, feeding people's fears, burning as
witches the non believers, chaining men to ricks in the blighted
wilderness, heralding miracles to gain power. It is grim stuff, but
an enthralling read with many parallels to the recent growth of
fundamentalist groups within our societies. Readers will love the
illustrative techniques of the two illustrators, Higgins and
Olivent, as they portray a society's upheaval with panache.
Fran Knight