Beijing Smog

Set in contemporary China, Beijing Smog is a novel about deception. It is about the power of online ridicule and rumour in a society where truth and reality are about as clear as the thick smog, beneath which corrupt politicians struggle for power, spies stalk cyberspace, and a bubble economy is about to burst. It is the story of an image, which is posted online as a joke, goes viral, and ends up threatening the ruling Communist Party, which doesn't have a sense of humour. It is built around three characters. A 21-year-old Chinese blogger who lives mostly in a virtual world beyond the screen of his smartphone, and who first posts the image; a delusional British businessman, still selling the China Miracle even as it crumbles around him, and an American diplomat chasing cyber spies. Their individual stories collide as the image takes on a life of its own in a bizarre and threatening way for them all – but mostly for the Party. Ian Williams' cyber thriller takes readers from...