All the Rage by Keith Reddin

The world is a harsh place, that much is clear. Whether through a suspicious husband, reckless use of medication, or supposed dangers imposed on your family, problems reveal themselves constantly. There are any number of ways of dealing with these difficulties that you might face each day. You might, like Tennel and Helen, leave your life behind and try to find something else in order to really discover yourself. Or, like Sydney, simply snap at a moment’s notice and direct all your anger at whoever has crossed you in a single instance of extreme violence. Collectively, these characters make a statement about our society and how it impacts everyone; our greed, our desire for quick fixes regardless of the dangers involved, and our desperation are laid bare. The characters are marked by a sense of build-up, that each of their actions is leading up to a great moment as a result of the society they are a part of.

Pressure is building, waiting to burst through like magma surging upwards through a volcano. The hot, molten lava undulates beneath a thin layer of rock and earth that cannot hope to restrain it for long. Soon, it breaks through the surface, erupting in a brilliant red-hot column or, rather, in the form of a gunshot. This volcano manifests itself differently in each of the characters. Some, like Warren, have a little more integrity to their earthen barrier, breaking after years of suspicion and finally only after a moment of extreme duress. Alternatively, Sydney is more of a constantly flowing and sputtering behemoth, so volatile that nothing survives his swathe of destruction.

Understandably, this world lends itself to a constant air of tension. Even in the silence of Norton’s office, this off-putting tension is prevalent. It is stifling and makes everyone within it uncomfortable. Everything is bathed in a slight––but unnatural––red hue, which, when combined with the harsh lines that strike chaotically makes it impossible to sit contentedly, enjoying what life has to offer. The very ground emanates heat as the world works to test and stress these people. As each person reaches their own point of rupture, this heat grows until it is truly sweltering. In the immediate wake of these eruptions, there is a period markedly cooler than the rest, though these only last briefly before the heat once again rises to the surface seeking yet another victim.