The Perished Land (2024)

Friðsemd spends her time translating the erotic thrillers that her best friend, Fatima, churns out. They are polar opposites; Fatima is a radiant people person while Friðsemd prefers quiet and solitude, living her life through the books she reads. When Fatima dies in a suspicious accident, Friðsemd borrows a page from her novels and sets out to solve the mystery of her friend’s death, which she is convinced was murdered. As the journey goes on, Friðsemd’s life increasingly and alarmingly begins to resemble the suspense novels written by Fatima.

The story is set in near-future Iceland which has lost a large part of the south coast to the sea, now known as the perished land. The whole world is in trouble, in fact, trash piles up, sea levels rise, and air pollution reaches unimaginable levels. Humanity’s greed knows no bounds and entrepreneurs and big business can do no wrong.

This is a satirical retro-futuristic romp through eco-fiction, science fiction, murder mystery and current issues, rooted in the exploration of friendship, grief and loss.