Radicalized
Four Tales of Our Present Moment
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4.6 • 47 Ratings
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
Told through one of the most on-pulse genre voices of our generation--New York Times bestselling author Cory Doctorow--Radicalized is a timely novel comprised of four science fiction novellas connected by social, technological, and economic visions of today and what America could be in the near, near future.
Unauthorized Bread is a tale of immigration, the toxicity of economic and technological stratification, and the young and downtrodden fighting against all odds to survive and prosper.
In Model Minority, a Superman-like figure attempts to rectifiy the corruption of the police forces he long erroneously thought protected the defenseless...only to find his efforts adversely affecting their victims.
Radicalized is a story of a darkweb-enforced violent uprising against insurance companies told from the perspective of a man desperate to secure funding for an experimental drug that could cure his wife's terminal cancer.
The fourth story, Masque of the Red Death, harkens back to Doctorow's Walkaway, taking on issues of survivalism versus community.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
This collection of four science fiction novellas reads like a brilliant new season of Black Mirror. Cory Doctorow’s eerie and dystopian stories practically vibrate with tension—they’re creepy and often hilarious. Doctorow drops his characters into settings where technology has gone awry and makes them grapple with hot-button issues like health care and police brutality. In his strange new worlds, something as bizarre and unexpected as hacking into a toaster can be a life-changing act. Just like the greatest speculative fiction—Aldous Huxley’s and Margaret Atwood’s books spring to mind—Radicalized left us exhaling deep sighs of relief that it’s all just make-believe…or is it?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Author and blogger Doctorow's thought-provoking latest story collection considers several possibilities of a future America. All of the tales are linked together by desperation borne out of trying times. "Unauthorized Bread" chronicles the attempts of refugee families to circumvent the restrictions of their apartment building, where elevators only stop for the rich and appliances are controlled by third-party software. In "Model Minority," superhero American Eagle tries to assist victims of racial violence by challenging the system, but the effort hurts more than it helps. The title story follows a man who becomes involved in an online support forum after his wife is diagnosed with cancer. When members of the forum begin to attack insurance companies and hospitals, the man's life, livelihood, and marriage are put on the line. Rounding out the collection is "The Masque of the Red Death," in which a lucky few hold against the encroaching apocalypse in a makeshift camp, even as the odds are stacked against them. Doctorow (Walkaway) captures the mix of hope, fear, and uncertainty felt by those in precarious situations, set against the backdrop of intriguing futuristic landscapes. The characters are well wrought and complex, and the worldbuilding is careful. This is a fine introduction to Doctorow's work, and his many fans will enjoy its exploration of favorite themes.
