Thursday, March 14, 2019
Wednesday, March 13, 2019
Friday, March 8, 2019
A review of the
book Near Future, by author Jennie Moench
By Jeffery L Carey
Jr
“It was a very different world that they inhabit.”
A different world indeed is what author Jennie Moench takes
the reader to in her book of short science fiction stories titled, Near Future. All five short stories, The Transporter, You’re Only Old Once,
Unique Identifier, Hive Mentality and A.I., revolve around the themes of
there being a reverse in the current course of humanity and its abuse of the
environment, that people relinquish their fossil fuel automobiles for electric transporters,
and that the majority of the planet is contented in an AR or Augmented Reality.
The book begins with The
Transporter, an interesting look into the not so distant future of electric
transportation and does a good job of setting the book up in its theme of being
more environmentally conscious with only a few states in the US hanging onto
fossil fuels. The story also deals with augmented reality like the conversation
the protagonist, Janet, has with a young man in Canada, “I live in a small
village in northern Canada, and we all use the same VR setup in the Community
Center.” This story captures all of the
themes that tie the book together. Near Future is an engaging collection that
brings the reader face to face with realistic possibilities. While most of the
stories are entertaining and thought provoking, some, at times, fall into overt
politicking which I felt detracted from the agenda of the stories.
Moench transports the reader into different social and
societal situations through the use of near future technologies like
transporters and AR to give us a glimpse of what life may be like within such
places as the nursing home in You’re Only
Old Once where people retreat to their happiest times within a artificial reality.
There is also the use of Transporters and AR in the story Unique Identifier which deals with the topic of eugenics and the
possible eradication of genetic defects.
The most unique story in the collection is Hive Mentality and its exploration on
the idea of reprogramming the population through therapy and re-education. One
line from Hive Mentality comes about
as children are re-educated to understand deceptive marketing tactics to the
point where ads are no longer deceptive or persuasive. The line reads, “Major
corporations were being forced to turn to a new marketing strategy, the truth.”
In the end the reader is transported into a world in use of A.I. or artificial
intelligence and how that A.I. named Arthur interacts with the people of that
alternative reality.
While the book works to create an apparent better future by “embracing
nature,” bringing “critical thinking to all grades of public education,” and
ushering in a “movement of citizen scientists” that changes our current value
system into one that realizes we are all “one people,” it falls headlong at
times in a globalized utopia which is derived from two Greek words meaning
"good place" and "no place” suggesting that the perfect world is
impossible. Moench does address this at times through the problematic scenarios
her characters experience, but it is clear the author wants us to believe this
future is superior to what we currently exist in. With its hints at Huxley’s Brave New World, Moench’s Near Future is sci-fi ride that is worth
the trip.
Thursday, February 28, 2019
Monday, February 25, 2019
Friday, February 1, 2019
Thursday, December 22, 2016
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
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