Manny Frishberg

‘After The Orange’ features twenty-four stories by a variety of writers contemplating the future of America and the world after 2032 or further ahead. The basic premise is that the current leader of the free world will make changes that have long-lasting effects. In the foreword, Elizabeth Ann Scarborough quotes an anthropologist discussing places and times where extremists take over: ‘Moderates are always the first to be killed.’

It's a very good collection with many great stories. I show more really liked ‘Garbage Patch Kids’ by Chris Bullard. It’s done in the style of a leaflet that begins ‘Welcome to Plasticia, the multi-hued gem of the Pacific Ocean.’ Plasticia began as a scientific research station when it was discovered that waste plastic in the ocean could be fused together to make a sort of platform.

In fact, there was a news story about this the other day. The research station expanded when it took in refugees from the desert wastes and the flooded cities. Luckily, there was plenty of plastic to keep building. This is full of interesting details about everyday life in a city built of plastic rubbish floating on a dangerous ocean in a hot world. Plasticia: it’s not a nice place to visit and you definitely wouldn’t want to live there. Your grandchildren might have no choice.

‘SIXTY-EIGHT’ by Frog and Esther Jones has secret agent Dana Lui rescuing a new kind of President-Elect. This starts as an adventure yarn then turns into a political debate as she is lectured by the masterful kidnapper, a man as smooth as a Bond villain in the first reel. This takes a proper science fictional approach to the future with new technologies involved as well as politics.

Tamara is dissatisfied with the New Republic of America in ‘A New Republic’ by Hannah Trusty. Everyone has a similar house, a similar medium-size car and people are appointed careers according to their talents. Her son, Nick, is musically inclined but there are enough musicians and he has an aptitude for mechanical work so that’s his life sorted. The tone makes it clear that the writer disapproves of this society but is it really so bad? Everyone’s fed and housed. In our current system, most people hate their jobs anyway and the majority of would-be artists struggle along at some routine job and fail to make the big time. The story provokes thought about what kind of society we want and how much freedom we will give up for security.

It’s the eve of Trump Memorial Weekend and senior staff member Roy Burton has been called out in the wee small hours for a crisis at Truth Department. Dave is the only junior on duty. In ‘True Values’, Ben Howels supposes a future in which the news is totally under the control of the state. Clearly, this is meant to echo The Ministry of Truth in Orwell’s ‘1984’. The crisis worsens until… This was another one of my favourites but there are plenty to choose from. A timely book that's worth a look. show less