{"product_id":"the-other-half-paul-lima-9781927710791","title":"The Other Half","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Other Half\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt begins as \"an incident.\" A few cities. A few unexplained cases. Then the truth becomes impossible to deny...\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor Daniel, an ordinary man living an ordinary life, the catastrophe unfolds through television screens, anxious phone calls, empty streets, and the slow realization that nothing-from relationships to governments to civilization itself-can survive unchanged.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs food systems fail, social order fractures, men begin forming uneasy alliances, Daniel records what he sees in a private journal called \u003cem\u003eHalf-XY\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBlending dystopian fiction, social commentary, black humor, and psychological realism, \u003cem\u003eThe Other Half\u003c\/em\u003e asks uncomfortable questions: What holds society together? What happens when certainty vanishes? And what remains when \"the other half\" is gone?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFans of speculative dystopian fiction and thought-provoking social satire will find \u003cem\u003eThe Other Half\u003c\/em\u003e a bold, unsettling read that explores masculinity, dependence, and the fragile systems we take for gra\u003cstrong\u003ented.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eExcerpt\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWe had a breakfast of dry cereal-Frank had no milk, eggs, tea, or coffee.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs we sat around the kitchen table, finishing our cereal, I said, \"What's happening feels like the 1975 Icelandic Women's Strike. I think it was called Women's Day Off.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"I recall hearing about that,\" said Jerry. \"It only lasted twenty-four hours, but it became one of the most influential gender-equality protests in history.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Why did they do it?\" asked Ishmael, as he crunched the last of his cereal.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Women were frustrated by lower pay than men for similar work, limited career opportunities, almost no political representation, and the fact that housework, childcare, and domestic labor were unpaid,\" I said.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Kind of like it was in America, before the incident,\" said Frank.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"What did they do, or didn't they do, since they were on strike?\" asked Roy.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"As I recall,\" said Jerry, \"they refused to go to work, cook meals, do housework, or care for children.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"The country was thrown into chaos,\" I said.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Kind of like today,\" said Hassan. \"Women stop working and society stops functioning.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"It would be funny if it wasn't true,\" said Roy.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Amen to that,\" said Frank.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Point made about their necessity, women came back and things changed dramatically, for the better,\" I said.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"There is no sign of them coming back here,\" said Jerry. \"And since that is the case...\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe stood and suggested that we head out to see what we could scrounge. \"Maybe we can find a few supplies, and good urban hiking shoes, since I suspect we are going to be doing a lot of walking.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"And Merino socks. I've always wanted a pair of Merino socks,\" Frank said.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Solid idea,\" said Jerry. \"After that, we'll head to my place. I still have a few steaks in the freezer.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"And we have a chef who knows how to cook them!\" said Hassan, and he smiled at Roy.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Do you have a barbecue?\" Roy asked.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Coal-fired. Not propane,\" said Jerry.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"The best,\" said Roy. \"Let's see if we can find some onions, garlic, and tomatoes, and we'll have a feast.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"So unlike Iceland, we can get by without women,\" Frank said, with a chuckle.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"We have no choice but to get by without them,\" said Jerry. \"We have no choice.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Paul Lima\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1927710790\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781927710791\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Paul Lima\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 05\/14\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 126\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.39lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.30d","brand":"Paul Lima","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":50665622831359,"sku":"9781927710791","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-other-half-paul-lima-9781927710791","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}