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Terry Hooper-Scharf

Friday 30 July 2021

Cinebook: HSE - HUMAN STOCK EXCHANGE VOLS. 1 and 2

My first thoughts on seeing these books was that they had very nicely designed covers. In fact very 1960s minimalist styled covers...the type which you might see as French movie posters from the period with "Starring Alain Delon" or "Jean Claude Belmondo". Nice start but I also immediately thought that this was going to be a long and drawn out and quite dry story.

Rather like I did with The Battle I sat down t read vols 1 and 2 together. My opinion started to change when I realised that I had read both books without a break (not even a toilet break which as you get older seem to be more often). Felix Fox's character is built up well as are those of the other characters and my next thought was that had this been published when the movie Wall Street came out it would have been a huge hit and it has all the qualities of a movie you might want to see.

The story and characterisations are good and draw you in (and no men in tights battling it out!) to the point that you read a page and think "What an arsehead -why do that?!" Good reading. But I kept thinking how this HSE was supposed to work? Okay, people are commodities and rich people invest in them and control them but -? Then I realised the clues were all there and in volume 2 I think we get a pretty good idea of what "the price" is when we see what happens to Fox's brother-in-law...well, we do not "see" but something he says  made me realise what was going on.

Am I right? Am I wrong? (Me -wrong? I know, seems ridiculous, right?) I enjoyed this and cannot wait for volume 3 to see what is going to happen!

 Authors: Dorison & Allart

Age: 15 years and up
Size: 21.7 x 28.7 cm
Number of pages: 56 colour pages
Publication: December 2020

£8.99 including VAT

ISBN: 9781849185967

https://www.cinebook.co.uk/hse-human-stock-exchange-vol-1-p-4432.html


In a far too near-future, the world’s economy has collapsed. Amidst an unprecedented recession, the only remaining bastion of capitalist prosperity is the new ‘Human Stock Exchange’, where individuals are listed on the market. Felix Fox sells cars over the phone, a poorly paid, thankless, dead-end job. But he is determined to make it big, at any cost. When the opportunity arises to be listed on the HSE, though … will the cost turn out to be too high?



  Authors: Dorison & Allart

Age: 15 years and up
Size: 21.7 x 28.7 cm
Number of pages: 56 colour pages
Publication: May 2021

£8.99 inc VAT

https://www.cinebook.co.uk/hse-human-stock-exchange-vol-2-p-4446.html

ISBN: 9781800440203

Felix has done it. His painstaking efforts have paid off, and he is now listed on the Human Stock Exchange. A new, more affluent life begins – new house, new car, new opportunities – though he hasn’t lost his burning desire to climb higher and higher. Unfortunately, the continued health of his stock requires not only constant hard work from him, but also, increasingly, sacrifices, compromises … and betrayals.

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