Honeydew

Honeydew
by Ben Zalkind
Published by Radiant Press
Review by Toby A. Welch  
$25.00 ISBN 9781998926350

Scholars love to argue that all stories fall into a handful of universal plots: love, good versus evil, coming of age, survival, identity, family, power, justice, loss, and redemption. But within each of those themes is a great deal of variety. Books that stay with me are the ones that resist easy categorization. Honeydew is one of those rare reads. It gave me Ayn Rand vibes – think Atlas Shrugged – but through a satirical and Canadian lens.

I had the title Honeydew wrong – I assumed melon, not man. But it’s actually the surname of a main character, celebrity CEO Moses Honeydew. He is described as a “sneaky snake,” a “smarmy dick,” and a “nerd emperor,” among others. Honeydew is an interesting character to watch unfold, but I would expect nothing less from a guy who owns a private space station.  

Trying to sum up what Honeydew is about without giving too much away is a challenging task. The main character is a spunky gal named Rose Gold who befriends a group of young rebels that are on an uphill battle against a corporate megalomaniac. Their struggle plays out like a high-tech David versus Goliath in a world with a dystopian feel. The story gains momentum with every chapter, pulling readers along with smart surprises.

Things accelerate dramatically when Honeydew announces his plans to drill deep into Earth with the goal of breaking through the mantle. The undertaking will be livestreamed so the spectacle can brand Honeydew as an “inner-Earth explorer.” The concept of subterranean tourism is cool to ponder. 

While Honeydew can be dark, I found the pockets of satirical humour highly entertaining. I actually chuckled out loud more than once. In the current cultural climate obsessed with inoffensiveness, this book takes refreshing risks. It is unafraid to provoke, poke, and challenge. 

 Zalkind’s prose is another standout. His descriptions are precise and clear without being over the top. Consider this line: “He deposited her on the bench with something resembling gentleness, positioning her on the smooth bamboo so that she did not have to readjust.” Even without any other context, the image is vivid and exact.

I enjoyed Honeydew so much that I went to look for other works by Zalkind to add to my library – only to discover that this is his debut novel. (That makes this writing project even more impressive to me.) I hope that this is his first book of many, as his voice is confident, intelligent, and one that we need in the Canadian literary scene. 

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