Ilze Hugo is a South African debut author with degrees in fine arts and English studies, along with a Masters in creative writing from the University of Cape Town. Her short stories have appeared in anthologies like The Ghost Eater and Other Stories and My Holiday Shorts. As a freelance writer, she's written for magazines to guidebooks to ad campaigns and even the odd comic. She lives by the ocean in Muizenberg, Cape Town, with her husband and two children.
The Down Days is one of the most accurate depictions of the strange realities of life during a pandemic... A shaggy dog story and modern noir, The Down Days feels particularly familiar now, due in part to its strange blend of tragedy and absurdity... The result closely resembles Sam J. Miller's Blackfish City, highly literary speculative fiction that blends elements of sci-fi and mysticism but grounds the high concepts with charming characters and a brilliantly realized setting... A surprisingly comforting work... The world may be dramatically changed, but when people are willing to take risks and work together, we can get through anything. * The A.V. Club * We're living in strange times. Why not face it head on and read a novel similar to our current reality? The Down Days is a fascinating story about the residents of an African city quarantined after an outbreak of laughter... The similarities will give you hope and change the way you think about holding onto your old way of life. * HelloGiggles * With a fresh new voice that jumps off the page and an incisive, probing plunge into the double-edged coin of survival and grief, The Down Days brings the tenacious synchronicity of Tom Robbins to science fiction with the pacing and mystery of a thriller. -Delilah S. Dawson, New York Times Bestselling Author Science fiction and spirituality intertwine in Hugo's fun, apocalyptic mystery debut... Hugo adeptly juggles multiple points of view... The arresting prose, an effortless blend of Afrikaans slang and invented jargon, peppered with evocative turns of phrase elevates this from run-of-the-mill science fiction thriller. Fans of gritty environmental sci-fi will enjoy this dynamic, fast-paced debut. * Publishers Weekly * One of Amazon's Best Books of the Month: Science Fiction & Fantasy