Barefoot in the head cover

Barefoot in the head

by Brian W. Aldiss

Europe is rising from the chaos and hallucination of an apocalyptic Psycho-Chemical War. Untold millions have perished and the line between reason and sanity has vanished. Out of this devastation comes Colin Charteris, a futuristic Don Quixote who is swept from obscurity and hailed as the new leader by an England desperate for salvation. In his efforts to make sense of the drugged madness that surrounds him, Colin becomes the savior the people want. But when he starts to believe he really is the Messiah, the world turns completely upside down.

More by Brian W. Aldiss

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?