Hystopia: A Novel Summary
David Means

Hystopia: A Novel Overview

David Means’ Hystopia is a stylized reimagining of the Vietnam War that follows a set of Michigan friends whose lives are shattered by their wartime experiences. The novel is framed as if written by a traumatized young veteran named Eugene Allen, and the people in his tragic life are included as veiled characters in his work. As Allen’s Psych Corps agent protagonist Singleton investigates the kidnapping of a young woman named Meg by the psychotically violent Rake, he discovers that the case may lead him down a dark path of self-discovery. Hystopia is a structurally experimental literary drama that delves into difficult themes of trauma, violence, honor, nature, and identity.