Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.

Sabitha: Looking for a deliciously dark and dystopian science fiction novel? Look no further. We have David Arrowsmith here to tell us about his novel, Corona!

David: In a fallen London, how far will one man go to save his family—and himself…

…or is it already too late?

Trapped in his top floor mansion block apartment in Denmark Hill, South East London, can The Man escape and pick his way through the crumbling ruins of the city, avoiding the violent gangs that now vie for supremacy, and find his heavily pregnant ex-wife?

Can a belated act of heroism wash him clean of his sins, or is he too far gone?

In a world where civilization has fallen, what hope is there for the future?

Corona is a story about the dark—and the light—inside all of us. It’s about man’s inhumanity and humanity. It’s a story in which the threat, the danger, comes from within us—not from the undead or vampires or even a virus, but from our neighbours, our friends, and even ourselves. Corona combines elements of dystopian fiction with the literary survival horror of works like J.G. Ballard’s High Rise and Concrete Island. It’s the perfect read for fans of The Road, I Am Legend, The Last Of Us, Children of Men, The Walking Dead, Mad Max, or 28 Days Later.

Sabitha: What inspired you to write this book?

David: This novel began life as entries typed into the Notes app on my phone—a brief personal diary as I attempted to document the extraordinary and scary first few weeks of the lockdowns and that first summer under the cloud of Covid-19, trapped in a garden flat in SE London, with my wife and our young daughter. I didn’t want to publish a diary, or a factual account—and then I hit on the idea of turning it into a dystopian novel, inspired by my love of JG Ballard and his stories like High Rise, Concrete Island, The Drowned World, The Drought and The Crystal World. It’s also got some major The Last of Us vibes!

Sabitha: Do you have a playlist for your book? Can you tell us why you picked a couple of the songs?

David: I do! It’s on Spotify. I picked songs with a grimy, dark or mysterious and isolated London vibe – so there’s lots of classic 70s punk like ‘Anarchy in the UK’ by the Sex Pistols, ‘Guns of Brixton’ by The Clash, and ‘Message in a Bottle’ and ‘So Lonely’ by The Police. But the book also has a beauty and connection with the environment and the weather, hence tracks like ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’ by The Verve, ‘Wild World’ by Cat Stevens and ‘Have You Ever Seen the Rain’ by Creedence Clearwater Revival. Give it a listen and let me know if you enjoy it!

Sabitha: Thanks for sharing your story and your process. We’re looking forward to reading! Where can the Night Beats community find you and your book?

David: All my social links can be found here. Check out Corona here or here. Read my short stories, Nevada Noir, here.