Description

If you want a better future tomorrow, you’re going to have to fight for it today.

Here are four urgent stories from author and activist Cory Doctorow, four social, technological and economic visions of the world today and its near – all too near – future.

‘Unauthorized Bread’ is a tale of immigration, toxic economic stratification and a young woman’s perilously illegal quest to fix a broken toaster.

In ‘Model Minority’ a superhero finds himself way out his depth when he confronts the corruption of the police and justice system.

‘Radicalized’ is the story of a desperate husband, a darknet forum and the birth of a violent uprising against the US health care system.

The final story, ‘The Masque of the Red Death’, tracks an uber-wealthy survivalist and his followers as they hole up and attempt to ride out the collapse of society.

‘Cory Doctorow is one of our most important science fiction writers’ KIM STANLEY ROBINSON.

Publisher Review

'Excellent collection' * SFX * 'A collection of extraordinarily clever novellas that cut right through to the anxieties that occupy Western societies as we continue to carve out a world that has an uneasy yet dependent relationship with technology' * SciFiNow * 'A set of four superb, distinctive short stories ... Doctorow's prose is punchy and direct, but he succeeds in conjuring the most vivid and plausible of situations with an impressive economy of words. While he is adept at intertwining questions of contemporary technology, culture and politics into his work, it is the calibre of his flawed but recognisable characters that ultimately brings these vivid short stories to life' * Starburst * 'A memorable collection of fascinating characters doing their best to survive an increasingly hostile world against the pressures of a civilisation that seems to be spiralling out of control. This is a highly recommended book from me' -- Gareth Jones, at SFCrowsnestinfo 'Exciting and very, very cinematic ... "Radicalized" is the best of the bunch, and so clever ... Fun, in a darkly, twisted sort of way' * Concatenation * 'This is no collection of preachy parables. For a start, it's often laugh-out-loud funny ... Doctorow's characters have depth and nuance, and fighting the dystopian tide changes them' * New Frame *