AshehougAgency

104

The Norwegian Fabel prize 2007

This thought-provoking novel is a mixture of space odyssey and poetic vision of the future. The action takes place partly on board a space ship travelling through the universe in search of a suitable site for the evacuated descendants of earth’s inhabitants, and partly on Jupiter’s moon Europa, which serves as an intermediary dwelling place for a few generations before the great exodus.

The main character is Ben, a simple man who has become involved in a rebellion on board the space ship. Ben has a retarded daughter, Helene; both Ben and his fellow prisoners on deck 104 know that none of them will live to see the day of arrival. Nonetheless there must be a revolution. Everything must change, the urge to rebel still exists in mankind.

104 was awarded the Norwegian Fabelprisen (best Norwegian fantasy or science fiction book) in 2007.

"The jury has in particular noted Christopher F-B- Grøndahl's stylistic confidence and that the book dares to take the themes and literary devices of the science fiction genre seriously, while still using these in new and creative ways. The jury wishes to praise the writer and the publisher for this fresh breath in Norwegian science fiction."
(From the Fabel prize jury's verdict)

Full review from an English blog

"I would very much recommend this book to anyone looking for science fiction with depth. It’s a shame that “104″ won’t find a wider audience than little Norway, because this book would hold its own against works from bigger and foreign sci-fi authors without any trouble."
7,5 /10.
(Amras Elensar)

”It is a gloomy novel with little hope along the way, but Grøndahl still writes in a way that gives lends the plot a tranquillity, letting the characters accept the hopelessness of their situation. Even though one catastrophe follows the other, the novel never gets hectic or too much, thereby making a lot stronger impact. By today’s standards with its 232 pages it is a book with great depth and strong content, that avoids getting lost in technical details.”
(www.interstellar.dk)

First published: Aschehoug Fiction 2006
Christopher F-B. Grøndahl: Bibliography and biography