FromtheauthoroftheFinlandiaAward-winningnovelTroll:ALoveStory,TheCoreoftheSunfurthercementsJohannaSinisalo'sreputationasamasterofliteraryspeculativefictionandofhercountry'suniquetakeonit,dubbedFinnishweird.Setinanalternativehistoricalpresent,inaeusistocracyanextremewelfarestatethatholdspublichealthandsocialstabilityaboveallelse,itfollowsayoungwomanwhosegrowingaddictiontoillegalchilipeppersleadsheronanadventureintoaworldwherelove,sex,andfreewillareallcontrolledbythestate.TheEusistocraticRepublicofFinlandhasbredanewhumansub-speciesofreceptive,submissivewomen,calledeloi,forsexandprocreation,whileintelligent,independentwomenarerelegatedtomeniallaborandsterilizedsothattheydonotcarryontheir"defective"line.Vanna,raisedasaneloibutsecretlyintelligent,needsmoneytohelpherdoll-likesister,whohasdisappeared.VannaformsafriendshipwithamannamedJare,andtheybecomeinvolvedinbuyingandsellingastimulantknowntotheHealthAuthoritytobeextremelydangerous:chilipeppers.ThenJarecomesacrossastrangereligiouscultinpossessionoftheCoreoftheSun,achilisohotthatitisrumoredtocausehallucinations.Doesthischilihaveeffectsthatjustifyitsprohibition?HowdidFinlandturnintotheNorthKoreaofEurope?AndwillVannasucceedinherquesttofindhersister,orwillhergrowingneedtosatisfyherchiliaddictiondestroyher?JohannaSinisalo'stautlytoldstoryoffightandflightisalsoafeisty,between-the-linessocialpolemicawitty,inventive,andfiendishlyengagingread.