Merking

In a near-future Iceland, a new empathy test is being used to sort people into those considered safe and those treated as potentially dangerous or morally suspect. A national referendum is approaching to decide whether this marking system should become mandatory for everyone.

The novel follows several people whose lives are affected from different angles: supporters of the test, opponents of it, and people trying to survive under its rules. Their stories overlap as public debate intensifies and the social consequences of the system grow more severe.

As the vote nears, friendships, work lives, family ties, and personal safety all come under pressure. The book builds toward the referendum while revealing how a society organized around empathy, security, and exclusion can reshape everyday life for everyone involved.