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A review by rosseroo
Moxyland by Lauren Beukes
4.0
Originally published ten years ago and only issued in the US following the success of the South African writer's subsequent books, this near-future sci-fi debut has a loose and limber quality that propels the narrative from start to end. The chapters hop between four different 20-something characters in Cape Town, whose lives intersect as they seek to push against the boundaries of the capitalist state.
The book is indeed a bit of a rebel yell against the forces of the neoliberal state and the co-opting of technology as a tool for social control. The themes here are nothing new, and while the basics of the plot aren't going to blow anyone's mind, the pleasure is in the details, delivery, and delicious mashup of language. The author's background as a journalist is evident, as she's woven together all kinds of social trends and blown them out about a decade or two.
For example, in this future, cell phones are basically ID cards and wallets in one, and thousands of automated systems constantly ping your phone and cross-reference your social media presence to asses your level of threat to social order, and allow access to transit, stores, etc. as appropriate. Instead of prison or a fine, citizens are punished by having their phones disconnected for periods of times, or even turned into remote tasers. There's plenty of other technoextrapolation, mixed in with art, culture, resistance, branding, AIDS, and more.
It's by no means an amazing book, but it is a fast-paced energetic read that's well worth checking out by anyone with an interest in new spins on cyberpunk.
The book is indeed a bit of a rebel yell against the forces of the neoliberal state and the co-opting of technology as a tool for social control. The themes here are nothing new, and while the basics of the plot aren't going to blow anyone's mind, the pleasure is in the details, delivery, and delicious mashup of language. The author's background as a journalist is evident, as she's woven together all kinds of social trends and blown them out about a decade or two.
For example, in this future, cell phones are basically ID cards and wallets in one, and thousands of automated systems constantly ping your phone and cross-reference your social media presence to asses your level of threat to social order, and allow access to transit, stores, etc. as appropriate. Instead of prison or a fine, citizens are punished by having their phones disconnected for periods of times, or even turned into remote tasers. There's plenty of other technoextrapolation, mixed in with art, culture, resistance, branding, AIDS, and more.
It's by no means an amazing book, but it is a fast-paced energetic read that's well worth checking out by anyone with an interest in new spins on cyberpunk.