Hex

Much of the novel lingers on the question ???What makes us civilised???? In the 21st century most people (particularly in the West) tend to think that ???civilisation??? is associated with altruism, generosity, mercy ??? in short, all the positive characteristics of our species. We also tend to believe that, in the present day, we are more altruistic, more generous, and more merciful than our predecessors in ???the bad old days??? ??? that we would not, we would never, allow ourselves to, say, be subjected to a surveillance state, or that we would treat prisoners with appropriate mercy, or that we would not persecute others without due cause. We tell ourselves those are things for the dark, wicked past, for the Inquisition and la Terreur. That is the past; we live in the present, and that darkness has no hold on us anymore.

But HEX shows us that this belief in our civilisation???s superiority is utterly false.

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