“I have become increasingly concerned about a number of issues that are facing society today including the aging population, the movement to legalise assisted dying and voluntary euthanasia,” explains Grahame about the inspiration behind his third book, The Euthanasia Protocol.
In this vision of the future, set in an independent Scotland after the apocalyptic religious wars, the State is managed by a series of secular Life Protocols.
Drawn up by a young and idealistic civil servant called Giles, the Protocols soon becomes grossly misinterpreted as an end in themselves, rather than being an aid to government. Among the Protocols is one addressing the problem of an aging population, and this Euthanasia Protocol is implemented throughout the country as an income-generating, yet socially acceptable, method of age control.
Giles rapidly becomes disillusioned by the way in which his concept has been abused. However, when he attempts to rectify the situation, he falls foul of the system, being condemned to a life of ignominy.
“The negative effect of religion in the world and the resultant sectarian violence show no sign of succumbing to rational thought while our increasingly unthinking reliance on technology has resulted in an unquestioning box-ticking culture,” observes Grahame. He goes to add, “In The Euthanasia Protocol I have attempted to highlight these threats to our society using allegory and humour.”