Welcome to Dystopia
Original title: 45 Visions of What Lies Ahead
- 2 Seas Represents: French, Dutch, and Nordic Rights.
- Rights sold: China (New Star Press)
SCIENCE FICTION
The 45 original stories in this volume achieve their objectives laudably, presenting bleak dystopic near-futures that are firmly rooted in the here and now…. A bracing collection of short, sharp shocks, all of which stimulate and some of which stun. — Publishers Weekly
“People ask me to predict the future, when all I want to do is prevent it.” — Ray Bradbury
Fighting in the streets, corruption at the highest levels, collapsing infrastructure, brutal police, a daily threat of nuclear war: few of us thought we’d find ourselves here, so far into the 21st century. What’s next? Are we really going to be “great again,” however that’s meant? And if we are, what does that mean for those of us on the receiving end of the less-than-great?
In this diverse and vigorous mix of stories by newcomers and luminaries, writers offer their takes on what life might hold for us in the next few years. The resulting visions of war, oppression, and daily struggle are sometimes humorous, sometimes terrifying (and occasionally both), but always thought-provoking.
Including stories by K. G. Anderson, Richard Bowes, Elizabeth Bourne, Scott Bradfield, J.S. Breukelaar, Jennifer Marie Brissett, Becca Caccavo, Don D’Ammassa, Stephanie Feldman, Eric James Fullilove, Ron Goulart, Eileen Gunn, Leslie Howle, Matthew Hughes, Janis Ian, Michael Kandel, Thomas Kaufsek, Paul La Farge, Yoon Ha Lee, Michael Libling, Heather Lindsley, Lisa Mason, Barry N. Malzberg, David Marusek, Mary Anne Mohanraj, James Morrow, Ruth Nestvold, Deji Bryce Olukotun, Marguerite Reed, Robert Reed, Madeleine E. Robins, Jay Russell, Geoff Ryman, James Sallis, J. M. Sidarova, Brian Francis Slattery, Harry Turtledove, Deepak Unnikrishnan, TS Vale, Leo Vladimirsky, Ray Vukcevich, Ted White, Paul Witcover, N. Lee Wood, and Jane Yolen.
Gordon Van Gelder is the publisher of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. He is the editor of many anthologies, among them Welcome to the Greenhouse: New Science fiction on Climate Change (OR Books). He has twice received the Hugo Award for Best Editor (short form), and has twice won the World Fantasy Award. He lives in Jersey City, N. J.