First published 1982
The golden world of Astrobe was built as a perfect society. Wealth flows freely to all citizens. Comfort comes without effort. Yet something has gone wrong. People abandon the shining cities in droves. They flee to the squalid slums of Cathead and the Barrio. They choose backbreaking labor over ease. They pick disease over health. The planet's leaders cannot grasp why anyone would reject paradise. They decide to reach into Earth's past for answers. They select one figure from human history to resurrect and guide them. But their choice proves catastrophic. The man they bring back to life wants nothing more than to tear down everything Astrobe represents. Now the rulers face a terrible question: can their perfect world survive the very person they hoped would save it?
Genres: science-fiction, dystopia, social-science, alternate-history
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, social-commentary
Setting: Astrobe, Cathead, Barrio
Period: Past
256 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Ace