| Random Acts of Senseless Violence | |
| Author: | Jack Womack |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Series: | "Dryco" series[1] |
| Genre: | Speculative fiction, dystopian novel |
| Publisher: | HarperCollins (UK) Atlantic Monthly Press (US)[2] |
| Pub Date: | October 1993 (UK) September 1994 (US) |
| Media Type: | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages: | 256 |
| Isbn: | 0-246-13850-5 |
| Preceded By: | Elvissey |
| Followed By: | Going, Going, Gone |
Random Acts of Senseless Violence is a dystopian and speculative fiction novel by Jack Womack.
The novel is told in the form of a fictional diary by the 12-year-old protagonist Lola Hart, and details Lola and her family's experiences in a near-future Manhattan in which violence, rising unemployment, and riots are commonplace in the city, as well as the rest of the United States.[3] As the novel progresses, Lola transforms from a student at one of Manhattan's most privileged private schools to a street-wise gangster as she and her family struggle to survive the despair of a crumbling government and economy.[3]
The book did not attract significant attention on release; though there were a few reviews, it was not nominated for any awards even though Womack's previous work, Elvissey, won the prestigious Philip K. Dick Award and was shortlisted for the Locus Award. In a July 2008 article for Tor.com, Jo Walton decried the critical neglect of the work.[4] Walton speculated that its lack of prominence was due to its initial low-key reception, the "singularly appalling" cover art of the early editions, a title that was "off-putting" and misleading, and its disconnect from the zeitgeist of the time, which was focused on cyberpunk and space opera.[4] She was echoed by fellow science fiction author Cory Doctorow, who described the work as "an unflinching, engrossing, difficult coming-of-age story" and referred to it as "Womack's underappreciated masterpiece".[5] William Gibson described it as the book he thinks is most underrated.[6]