Set in the near future, The Prepper Room imagines a world unraveling under environmental collapse, extreme weather, and social upheaval. As ecosystems approach total failure, political power shifts dramatically—women rise to leadership in an effort to save humanity, while extremist male factions respond with escalating violence.
At the center of the story is Sebastian, a man who publicly represents progress and environmental responsibility while privately embodying control, cruelty, and hypocrisy. Once a Greenpeace activist, now a powerful figure in the Democracy Centre, Sebastian harbors a dark secret: he has imprisoned his wife in a cellar for years in a desperate attempt to reclaim his sense of masculinity.
Karen Duve weaves political satire, psychological horror, and social critique into a gripping narrative that challenges assumptions about power, morality, and survival. The Prepper Room is both a disturbing character study and a razor-sharp commentary on fear-driven ideologies in times of crisis.
Dystopian political fiction set in the near future
Explores climate collapse and environmental catastrophe
Examines gender power shifts and extremist movements
Dark psychological portrait of control and hypocrisy
Sharp satire blended with unsettling realism
Written by award-winning German author Karen Duve
Thought-provoking and emotionally intense narrative
Author: Karen Duve
Category: Dystopian Fiction / Political Satire
Format: Paperback
Language: English (translated work)
Audience: Adults (18+)
Themes: Climate collapse, extremism, gender politics, power
