Corpus delicti By Juli Zeh

»An invisible hand plucks feathers from the sky. A young woman crosses the room, with tiny steps, holding a brimful cup in both hands. It is nice to see. It is nice to be able to see it. We are present. ›We‹ is whoever watches. ›We‹is whoever is knowing. ›We‹ is the collective consciousness. ›We‹ is everywhere. ›We‹ is the bird’s eye view. ›We‹ takes care. Don’t worry. ›We‹ is with you. You are not alone.«
from Corpus delicti

Young, attractive, talented and independent: This is Mia Holl, a woman of thirty years. They pose her in front of a jury court. What is the charge? A too-much of love (for her brother), a too-much of intellect (she thinks scientifically) and an excess of mental independence (God is passé for her). In a society where all complexity is considered too complicated, this state of mind suffices to be classified as a dangerous subject.
The writer Juli Zeh devises an exciting science-fiction scenario, in which she projects a mythical witch figure into a society of our not-too-distant future which is entirely concerned with health care and control. Partner planning, the right amount of exercise, monthly care provision, diet tables - the body was canonized, the soul had to go. It is easy to portray a human drama through a woman whose desire to find meaning cannot be matched. Especially, since she could leave behind the pure and easy revolt at a certain point of time in her story by assuming the obligation of the health government. This turns the story into a judiciary drama in which one has to clarify at first what is meant when speaking about the personal well-being.
For the last thousand years, the witch has been the sole medical practitioner of the people. There is a comment of Roland Barthes who said that witchcraft had been nothing else than the first medicine of a society in which relations impoverish slowly. When they are completely empty the witch triumphes.