First published 1985
Daniel Weinreb cannot stand the suffocating control any longer. The Midwest crushes free thought under layers of repression and censorship, but New York calls to him with the promise of artistic freedom. He abandons everything familiar and heads east to chase his dreams of a music career. The East Coast offers liberation from authoritarian control, yet it brings new horrors. Famine stalks the streets. Poverty consumes entire neighborhoods. Too many people fight over too few resources in this overpopulated wasteland. Daniel must navigate between the creative opportunities he craves and the brutal reality of survival in a collapsing society. His journey becomes a test of how much suffering he will endure for the chance to express himself freely. The choice between security and artistic truth defines every decision he makes.
Genres: fiction, science-fiction, dystopia, literary-fiction, 20th-century, 21st-century
Vibes: dark, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, pursuit-of-dreams
Setting: Midwest, New York
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
359 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Bantam Books
Content warnings: violence