Children of the New World

     I have often wondered what our society will look like years down the road as technology is moving at breakneck speeds, and is, after all, so much a part of our lives.
     In the dystopian novel, Children of the New World, there are thirteen tantalizing and thought-provoking stories that will leave you feeling curious and alarmed about the direction a society may be heading.
     The first story introduces you to a family story, "Saying good-bye to Yang," where the father had to take his teenage son to get help after the son repeatedly smashed his face into a breakfast plate.  The son is actually a robot purchased to take care of his younger sister, Mika, who was adopted from China.  Yang was programmed to teach his little sister about her cultural heritage, but was outdated and classified as scrap metal. Despite being a robot, Yang's father mourns after him as he reminisces about the times they have spent together.  This short story is indicative of how we can become so attached to our "technology " that, after losing it, we are left emotionally compromised.

     The most heart-wrenching story in this book is entitled, "Rocket Night." In it, an annual fall school event takes place where families and staff get together and send the least-liked child into orbit.  The child, Daniel, who had a habit of picking his nose and wiping it on his clothes, chewing his pencils, and also wore hand-me-down clothes, was chosen.  Frightened, he clung to his mother's leg, unwilling to get into the rocket.  The narrator explains, "..and so we let our children loose. I watched my daughter pry the boy's fingers..and dragged him away." Daniel was placed into the capsule where his parents were assured there were enough supplies stocked for a long time into the future.

These stories beg the question, "Can this really happen?"