Northeast dystopia mirrors Brazil’s political collapse

In “Os Interiores,” João Matias sets a dystopia in Brazil’s Northeast to explore authoritarianism, environmental crisis, and social exclusion.

Published by Editora Patuá, the novel imagines a Brazil ravaged by drought, political hatred, and military control. Drawing from the events between 2018 and 2022, Matias uses fiction as a mirror to the nation’s collapse.

The plot follows climate refugees torn from their lands by environmental decay and government repression. Vast erosion craters — voçorocas — symbolize both the ecological breakdown and moral desolation of the country.

Structured as a “road book,” the narrative blends brutal scenes, sharp dialogue, and landscapes that breathe. “I wanted the reader to feel like a passenger, watching the geography and the people in motion,” says Matias.

Literary critic Sérgio Tavares describes the novel as a cross between horror and political allegory. For the author, the book is also an act of resistance: “It’s my way of settling accounts with the militarist government once lived.”

Born in Juazeiro do Norte and a professor at the Regional University of Cariri, Matias had already made his mark as a short-story writer and screenwriter. With “Os Interiores,” he asserts himself as one of the leading voices in Brazil’s political fiction.

Photo: Divulgação