A Saffron Walden author has released the second book of a futuristic trilogy that focuses on a dystopian world where men and women are so alike that no attraction exists between them.

Katrina Mountfort, 50, of Braybrooke Gardens, began writing the Blueprint trilogy ten years ago and her debut novel Future Perfect, which was released last December, was nominated for the Arthur C Clarke prize for science fiction writing.

The second book in the series, entitled Forbidden Alliance, was published on September 4 through Elsewhen Press and Mrs Mountfort says the idea for the trilogy came from an unlikely source.

She said: “I first got the idea from seeing an advert about body waxing for men. It got me thinking about males losing their masculine qualities, and what if men and women were practically identical.

“The novels focus quite heavily on body image, and the pressure that both sexes are under to have this perfect look. Some of it is drawn from my own experiences, as when I was growing up in the 70s, it was fashionable for women to be voluptuous and I wanted to put on weight.

“Now of course, young girls nowadays are under pressure to be stick thin.”

Mrs Mountfort, who works as a freelance medical writer, said she has completed the third book in the trilogy; Freedom’s Prisoners, which is set to be released next autumn.

The author will be at the Saffron Walden Gallery in the High Street on Thursday, November 19 at 6.30pm, signing copies of Forbidden Alliance, which will be on sale at the discounted price of £8.50.

For more information on the Blueprint trilogy, visit www.elsewhen.alnpetepress.co.uk.