General Firebrand and His Red Atlas

A fast-paced and action-packed dystopian novel, addressing the nature of power, the limits of rationality, and the dominance of fear.

In a world on the brink of totalitarian rule, one man rises from the shadows to ignite a revolution and becomes the unlikely leader of a war of resistance that will shake the very foundations of power. General Firebrand, an unsocial and recovered alcoholic, considered a pariah by society, rises up against the country’s fascist regime. In this guerrilla war, Firebrand garners support from the unlikeliest allies. Beasts and birds of the jungle join the struggle. Spirits of historical figures from past wars and fictional characters with supernatural abilities lend their strength to the cause. As a devastating secret is revealed that moves Firebrand to the core, the battle for liberation takes on new dimensions, exposing the fragility of rationality and the weight of historical wrongs committed in the name of a supposedly humane ideology.

With zany, irreverent prose and a breakneck pace, General Firebrand and His Red Atlas is an explosive debut novel that challenges conventional wisdom and explores the complexities of courage, doubt and the pursuit of justice in a world dominated by fear.

Click here to read an interview with the author in Mid-day.

‘Echoes of the present often permeate the fictional universe of this debut novel, prompting readers to ponder the future of the world we live in where authoritarian leaders run amuck.’—Vineetha Mokkil, Outlook. Read the full review here.

‘With elements of magical realism, Tathagata Bhattacharya’s rollicking satirical novel [ . . . ] covers the machinations of political alliances and regimes. [ . . . ] Clever references to historical battles and wars wend into General Firebrand and His Red Atlas, an allegorical meditation on the costs of freedom, the limits of resistance, and the cataclysmic birthing of new orders.’—Elaine Chiew, Foreword Reviews.

‘With talking animals and flying saucers, ghosts of Russian generals from the Stalinist era and characters from the Bengali writer and Bhattacharya’s father Nabarun Bhattacharya’s last and unfinished novel, General Firebrand and the Red Atlas is a novel that, in itself, is uncategorisable. A satire on authoritarianism, it is a chronicle of the good fight, of a revolution, with all its magic and misery.’—Alexander Sebastian, The New India Express. Read the full review and interview with the author here.