Barbara Langford

The Zone Barbara Langford

The story revolves around the aftermath of an uprising by a group of people who, pressed into desperation by the growing inequities within their society, are living as a separate community within an area they have taken over within the heart of the city. They possess the means to hold the city to ransom by means of secret flashpoints. The hardship of their former lives, which has led them to take such a drastic step, has also taught them to transcend and not mimic the values of their former society, a course which would only repeat fragmentation, and their unity in their common aim has made the Zone a thriving community within an outmoded community. The mistake comes with the decision by their leader to force official acceptance of the Zone's existence. His reasoning is that the Zone was forced into existence by that society and the responsibility lies with them. An outsider and an idealist, he serves as the chosen figurehead over the eight sections of the Zone. He loves his community and wants the best for them. He is convinced his demand is just, and hopes thereby to elevate the status of the Zone. Even though most of the Zone members are against the idea, a move to force recognition goes through. They realize - too late - the built-in destructiveness of seeking acceptance from a power whose values are seen to be inferior to theirs. Once the connection has been sought and made the structure starts to crumble in a downslide heading towards disaster, despite the continued unwavering solidarity of the Zone members. In addition to a love story between the leader of the Zone and a woman he abducts from the outside, a move which brings the former partner of the woman into deep involvement in the Zone, the theme is interwoven with the individual challenges faced by other strong members of the Zone, against the common backdrop of their growing crisis. Barbara Langford.