The Buttoned Sky

"The Buttoned Sky" by Geoff St. Reynard is a science fiction novel written in the early 1950s. The story is set in a dystopian future where humanity is oppressed by omnipotent god-like beings referred to as "globes." The main character, Revel, a member of the ruck—an underclass of society—finds himself at a turning point when he unexpectedly kills one of these gods, setting off a chain of events that could challenge the power structure of his world. At the start of the narrative, Revel wakes up in his modest dwelling with the bitter aftertaste of a drunken night and worries about his ailing mother. As he prepares for another day of grueling manual labor in the mine, the atmosphere is thick with the oppressive presence of the god-globes hovering overhead. The opening portion presents Revel as a deeply frustrated individual who, after a chaotic confrontation with a god in the mine, accidentally kills it in an impulsive act of defiance. This act of violence catalyzes not only a personal awakening but also a burgeoning rebellion against the established order, laying the groundwork for the struggles and themes of rebellion, power, and human dignity that will unfold throughout the book.