The novel “BloodBusters” by Francesco Verso was published for the first time in Italy in 2015. It was translated to English by Sally McCorry.
BloodBusters are tax collectors who take care of collecting taxes in blood. The evaders are searched and the BloodBusters proceed with the withdrawals. Alan Costa works for the agency and when he and his colleagues go to carry out an investigation they’re interrupted by the Robin Blood anarchist group, who takes away Anissa Malesano, the woman object of the investigation.
In the short time he spent with Anissa, Alan fell in love with her, although he knew how dangerous it is to mix work and personal relationships. The situation becomes more complicated for him because his colleagues are not all reliable and faithful and there’s the risk of making enemies inside and outside the agency.
“BloodBusters” was created from the union of several ideas that honestly have little science fiction. Eventually, it won the Urania Award, one of the most important Italian science fiction awards. The result is a novel in which the most science fiction element in my opinion is an Italy in which there’s a more or less fair tax system. 😉
Basically, “BloodBusters” is a satire set in an Italy in which taxes are paid in blood and blood tax collectors go in search of tax evaders to get what they owe. In this situation, donating blood as it’s done today is a form of evasion and consequently illegal.
Anissa Malesano is a donor who offers her blood compulsively. In her case, it’s not only a crime but also a serious risk to her health. When Alan Costa and his BloodBusters go to her house for a blood withdrawal, the Robin Blood group also arrives as they, like her, believe in a voluntary donation.
Alan falls in love with Anissa despite being on opposite sides of the barricade. In seeking a relationship with the woman, he violates one of the rules that begin each chapter, in this case, the one that recommends not to think about the taxor if you have to collect a credit.
The story between Alan and Anissa is one of the most important parts of the “BloodBusters” plot. Especially in the second part, the story is developed by including various intrigues in part within the agency Alan works for with connections in politics.
Francesco Verso’s satire is very over the top, often grotesque. It’s ruthless and there’s something for everyone, from politicians to cardinals, footballers and others. For readers who are sensitive to blood, it may be difficult to read the details of the blood withdrawals and everything around it, including Ematogen bars, a blood-based food that appears to be common in people’s diets.
Satire is a way of talking about real and sometimes extremely serious problems by making people laugh and “BloodBusters” is no exception. In some cases, the themes are seen between the lines in the novel, but sometimes Francesco Verso explicitly mentions news stories such as the ugly story of infected blood, a scandal that happened in Italy between the 1970s and the 1990s, when untested blood was used in transfusions and sometimes turned out to be infected. However, not knowing that story doesn’t really detract from enjoying this novel.
It’s precisely the more or less explicit presence of these themes that gives strength to a novel like “BloodBusters”. The story is so over the top that it makes you grin several times, but in some cases, those are bitter grins. The grotesque elements sometimes offer a glimpse of the rot of the reality they represent.
Like any proper satire, “BloodBusters” also provides food for thought. This doesn’t surprise me in a work by Francesco Verso, who is also an editor. He chooses short stories that have an artistic value and some themes that offer food for thought. It’s for these reasons that I recommend reading “BloodBusters” regardless of any genre label.
