The world may not be what we think it is The Ferryman of Prospera, captivating dystopia between dream and reality.
Experienced readers of horror-oriented fantasy literature are likely familiar with the trilogy. The Passage by Justin Cronin. The American skillfully mixed tones and genres in a great adventure story where the final survivors of a tragic pandemic, having transformed the infected into vampire creatures, tried to survive in a post-apocalyptic world. The fifty-year-old had created a whole crazy world, which was also transposed onto the small screen in the series The Passage.
Eight years after concluding the story, Justin Cronin finally returns with a new universe thanks to The Ferryman of Prospera. You best-seller New York Times in 2023, the book has been widely praised by a myriad of famous writers including Peter Weir (Alone on Mars) describing it as “a powerful novel that gives you the shivers” or the eminent Stephen King speaking bluntly about a book “impossible to let go”.
From now on, The Ferryman of Prospera is available in France from Robert Laffont, and we explain to you why it is unmissable if you are fans of dystopian science fiction (and more).
DREAM LIFE
This is first of all what is surprising when we delve into The Ferryman of Prospera : the tone is totally different from the trilogy of Passage. Justin Cronin abandons post-apocalyptic horror to immerse us in a heavenly universe with its archipelago made up of three different islands, including Prospera. The characters live in a sort of utopia where no one worries about anything, everyone can do what they want and everyone is more or less immortal (under certain conditions).
At least, on paper, since obviously Prospera may not be as idyllic as the characters think (and also the readers), as presented by the synopsis:
“Proctor leads an ordinary and pleasant existence on the island of Prospera. He lives peacefully married to Élise and works as a smuggler. His role is to accompany the retirees to the ferry which takes them to the Crèche Island, where they will be regenerated and their memories erased. However, the day comes when he must escort his own father. The situation does not go as planned: at the pier, his father flees. Proctor manages to catch up with him, and hears his father whisper: “The world is not the world. You are not you. »
The scene was captured by numerous cameras scattered across the island. The authorities of Prospera and a group of resistance fighters from the Annex (the island where the support staff live) fear that Proctor has understood the meaning of his father’s words. Events precipitate, and Proctor finds himself forced to flee to avoid being taken by force to the Crèche. It becomes clear that life in Prospera is not as idyllic as its apparent tranquility suggests. »
Thus, after only about sixty pages, the life of our hero Proctor changes and our reading with it. This is one of the strengths of The Ferryman of Prospera : he is it’s hard not to want to unravel all the mysteries of the plot from this twist. What does “Ouranos” mean? What did his father try to warn him about? Why do the authorities absolutely want to prevent him from remembering it? Does this have anything to do with his now lost dreams? Mystery.
-So of course, there is something quite classic about following the quest of a character seeking to understand what is hidden behind the false utopia that surrounds him. However, Justin Cronin regularly manages to thwart certain clichés of the genre to better surprise us.
ESCAPE FROM PARADISE
The goal is not to spoil here, but The Ferryman of Prospera is clearly inspired by some science fiction masterpieces, such as Matrix, Inception, Blade Runner, Westworld, even Silo. It’s about reality, dreams, illusion, heavy secrets, but also technology, conspiracy, destruction, class struggle, survival… in short, it’s a hell of a story in which Proctor will move forward like in levels.
In a way, each step allows him to solve certain major puzzles, while complicating his existential search. Each discovery hides other, increasingly complex elements, revealing the extent of the universe. and above all the narrative ambition of Justin Cronin. In this little game, moreover, the writer sometimes changes point of view, juggling between that of Proctor (for the vast majority) and that of Théa, of which we will not reveal anything here to preserve some surprises.
One thing is certain, throughout the chapters, reality is fully distorted and it is difficult to know exactly whether the truth is indeed that presented to the protagonists or whether it is yet another manipulative ruse. Hence a nice narrative success, since ultimately, The Ferryman of Prospera is both a great spectacular journey (lots of suspense, different places, etc.) and psychological (reflection on humanity, feelings, freedom, etc.).
So certainly, the book would surely have benefited from being a little shorter (it has around 600 pages). Still, Justin Cronin knows how to keep us in suspense despite everything, reviving his intrigue where we didn’t necessarily expect it. The result is a fascinating novel, sometimes strange, often thrilling and deeply attached to its characters and their relationships. It is probably this aspect that makes it a must-have, The Ferryman of Prospera densifying the universal issues of the story through the intimate journeys of its heroes.
The book has been available in all good bookstores in France since January 23, 2025. thanks to Robert Laffont.
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