Midsummer, 1968. When Frank Banner and his wife Gail move to the Suffolk coast to work at a newly built nuclear power station, they are hoping to leave violence and pain behind them. Gail wants a baby but Frank is only concerned with spending time in the gleaming reactor core of the Seton One power station. Their new neighbours are also 'Atomics' - part of the power station community. But Frank takes a dislike to the boorish, predatory Maynard. And when the other man begins to pursue a young woman who works in the power station's medical centre, Frank decides to intervene. As the sun beats relentlessly upon this bleak landscape, his demons return. A vicious and merciless voice tells him he has an obligation to protect the young woman and Frank knows just how to do it. Radiation will make him stronger, radiation will turn him into a hero... The Atomics is a Gothic story of madness, revenge and Uranium-235.

Longlisted for the Caledonia Novel Award

About the Author
Paul Maunder is an author and journalist. His 2018 memoir, The Wind at my Back, explores the connections between landscape, creativity and the writing process. He was awarded a Faber bursary for his fiction and has an MA in Creative Writing from Royal Holloway, where he studied with the Poet Laureate, Andrew Motion. He regularly publishes features and fiction in cycling magazines Peloton and Rouleur.

Reviews
'A terrifically compulsive slice of post-war domestic noir: a vivid psychological thriller that unfolds into a strange and powerful study of male violence' - Michael Hughes; 'Very, very good' - Jon Wright, BBC Radio Suffolk; 'A tense and evocative unpeeling of the male psyche with a deliciously chilling denouement. Frank Banner is a fascinating, terrifying creation'- Never Imitate; 'A compulsive study of a mind sliding from troubled to deranged. I really enjoyed the "buzzing hum of radiation" with which the text is infused'- Lizzy Siddal; 'A hugely enjoyable novel that's not quite like anything else I've read. It's dark and eerie with a delicious hint of Gothic, looking at toxic masculinity and predatory behaviour, with a wonderful twist at the end' - Jo's Book Blog; 'Without the nuclear setting, this psychodrama would still be a compulsive piece of domestic noir, but the power station, Frank's unhealthy obsession with his work and the dynamics of being stuck in the sterile 'Atomics' village all add to the sense of horror' - Annabookbel


Awards
Commended for Caledonia Novel Award 2020.



Book Information
ISBN 9781785632327
Author Paul Maunder
Format Paperback
Page Count 256
Imprint Lightning Books
Publisher Eye Books
Weight(grams) 200g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 16mm