Corpus Delicti

Young, attractive, talented, and independent: This is Mia Holl, a thirty-year-old woman who must stand trial before a jury. She is accused of having too much love (for her brother), too much intellect (she thinks scientifically), and an excess of mental independence. In a society where concern for the body has overshadowed all intellectual values, this inner makeup is enough to classify her as a dangerous subject. Mia Holl wants to prove that her brother, convicted of an alleged rape, is innocent. Thus, she positions herself against the system, referred to here as the "Method," also out of love for her brother, who took his own life.

In "Corpus Delicti," Juli Zeh crafts an exciting science fiction scenario of a health dictatorship in the year 2057. She depicts a system that controls everything and everyone. Health has become the highest civic duty. The "Method" demands a strict exercise regimen as well as the submission of sleep and nutrition reports. This state is literally informed about every step its citizens take.

"Corpus Delicti" addresses highly relevant questions: How far can and will the state restrict individual rights? Is there an individual's right to resist? Juli Zeh's "Corpus Delicti. A Trial" is a visionary and incredibly gripping book about our future, which we are increasingly unable to determine.