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"The future is like
the moon. You never expect to go there, or think about what it might be like."--Spaz,
Rodman Philbrick's THE LAST BOOK IN THE UNIVERSE
Middle School readers:
- Ash, Constance, ed.: NOT OF WOMAN BORN (anthology) - explores
of body and genetic manipulation, cloning, creation of androids and robots,
artificial intelligence
- Asimov, Isaac: I, ROBOT (genre classic) - somewhat dated technology; human conflict
with intelligent machines, androids (robots that look
human); overpopulation
- Babbitt, Natalie: TUCK EVERLASTING - life extension, fantasy-like touches is
immortality good?
- Bawden, Nina: OFF THE ROAD - When Tom's grandfather leaves en route to
euthanasia, Tom follows and discovers his entire
computerized, sanitized, self-centered world is a creation,
and that outside its walls the rest of the world lives a far
harder life
- Bergen, Lara: X-MEN (novelization) - popular movie, light view of mutation and
anti-mutant bias
- Bradbury, Ray:
- FAHRENHEIT 451 (genre classic) - dated technology totalitarian
governments, the loss of the printed book, obsession with electronic media
- THE ILLUSTRATED MAN (genre classic) - includes story "The Veldt" which poses
the question what children are created by electronic babysitters
- Carmody, Isabelle: OBERNEWTWYN (and sequels) - future with environmental collapse, toxic
zones, genetic mutations in a population which returns to
rural values, totalitarian authority
- Danziger, Paula: THIS PLACE HAS NO ATMOSPHERE - fun, approachable; issues raised include
future Earth life school, the homes available, dwindling
resources
- Dickinson, Peter: EVA - -exploration of animal experimentation,
social collapse, dwindling resources
- Doyle, Deborah & MacDonald, James: GROOGLEMAN - an exploration of world
created by social collapse and waves of epidemic disease
- Farmer, Nancy: THE EYE, THE EAR, AND THE ARM - set in near-future Africa with some
fantasy elements; explores overpopulation and dwindling
resources, difference between haves and have-nots
- Haddix, Marguerite:
- TURNABOUT - near-future exploration of gene therapy, life extension and age reversal; medical experimentation without checks and balances, timely with discoveries of genetic causes of aging, possible ways to combat it
- AMONG THE HIDDEN - totalitarian governments; regulations on how many children a family can have (and the penalties), the lives of hidden excess children
- Heinlein, Robert A.
(Computer technology in RAH's books is dated, but other issues still timely. All of
these books are considered genre classics):
-
TUNNEL IN THE SKY - population explosion forces Earth-dwellers to deal with dwindling resources, pressure for space exploration/colonization
- STAR BEAST - how to define intelligence and humanity when what is intelligent and "people" may not look like human (also funny)
- BETWEEN PLANETS - exploration of over-populated Earth vs. rights of colony planets, future civil liberties, totalitarian governments, intelligence
Hoover, H.M.: THE WINDS OF MARS - explores good government, good leadership; the widening gap between haves and have-nots;
leadership vs. dictatorship
Hughes, Monica: KEEPER OF THE ISIS LIGHT - genetic modification and physical adaptation to fit different conditions; what is a human being
Kaye, Marilyn: REPLICA (popular teen series) - suspense series, accessible, deals with genetic manipulation and cloning
Lowry, Lois: THE GIVER - weak science, discussion of population manipulation through trait selection and infanticide
McCaffrey, Anne: SHIP WHO SANG (and others) - future use of challenged children to supply brains to power spaceships, supply central guidance for cities and space stations; physical manipulation, brainwashing, drug use
Nix, Garth: SHADE'S CHILDREN - aliens control humans; addresses organ harvests, machine intelligences that are independent, with their own agendas
O'Brien, Robert C.: Z IS FOR ZACHARIAH - post-nuclear collapse and survival, the nature of courage
Philbrick, Rodman: THE LAST BOOK IN THE UNIVERSE - the loss of print media, virtual reality treated as drug addiction, genetic modification, overpopulation, dwindling resources, haves vs. have-nots, environmental collapse
Rand, Ayn: ANTHEM - totalitarian government, socialism as opposed to individual thinking/liberties, media manipulation
Shute, Neville: ON THE BEACH (genre classic) - after nuclear war, survivors await the spread of planet-altering radiation
High school/advanced readers
- Asimov, Isaac: CAVES OF STEEL, THE NAKED SUN (genre classics)- mystery format, some dated technology, humans in conflict with robots, androids; overpopulation issues
- Asaro, Catherine: THE VEILED WEB - near-future exploration of creation of and morality behind artificial intelligence
- Atwood, Margaret: THE HANDMAID'S TALE - future society governed by religious and social right, curtailment of female education/power, social collapse, conflict between haves and have-nots
- Bear, Greg: DARWIN'S RADIO - possibility that old sections of genome may activate to create mutation, moral issues, responses to epidemic disease, examination of classic male/female roles, responsibilities; what if evolution is not painless
- Burgess, Anthony: A CLOCKWORK ORANGE - dysfunctional future, social collapse, prevalence of crime, haves vs. have nots
- Butler, Octavia: THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER (and others) - near-future exploration of rampant crime, dwindling resources, violence, environmental and social collapse
- Friesner, Esther:
- THE PSALMS OF HEROD / THE SWORD OF MARY - set in a future following
political/environmental collapse; religious movements, population control,
mutation, technology vs. rural environment
- Heinlein, Robert A.: STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND - sexual material (views of females dated but address important gender issues), near-future view of media and society, global government, religion, marital and culinary customs
- King, Stephen: THE RUNNING MAN (written as Richard Bachman)- very different from the movie; addresses haves vs. have-nots, genetic modification, organ harvesting, environmental pollution, social collapse, reality game shows for very high stakes--violent
- Kress, Nancy:
- BEGGARS IN SPAIN and sequels - genetic manipulation, includes creation of segment of humanity with no need to sleep, haves vs. have nots
- MAXIMUM LIGHT - treatment of demands on population and resources made by large generation of older people; failure of fertility which results in genetic manipulation of animals to create "babies" to love; youth is both exalted and exploited
- Kunetka, Dan & Streiber, Whitley:
- WAR DAY - carefully explored consequences of nuclear war, with flashbacks to war in progress in familiar settings, radiation sickness and treatment, splintering of U.S. into differently governed regions, rationing
- NATURE'S END - near-future America family of haves is thrown into conflict with have-nots, issues of credit and income, genetic manipulation, over-population, degenerating environment, survival in hostile world (I will never eat baby carrots again!)
- Robins, Madeleine: THE STONE WAR - urban decay/collapse with implications for haves and have nots, some fantasy elements for struggle of good and evil
- Willis, Connie: THE DOOMSDAY BOOK - time travel, takes place in near-future England and the England immediately before the arrival of the Black Death; social future and needs shaped by epidemic disease, mirrored by experience of a past epidemic
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