by Charles Yu
First published 2015
This anthology presents thirty-one stories that explore surveillance culture in our post-Snowden world. The collection includes Charles Yu's "Coyote," T. Coraghessan Boyle's "The Relive Box," and Cory Doctorow's "Scroogled" among others. Writers from around the globe examine how constant monitoring affects human behavior and relationships. Some stories focus on drone strikes and government spying. Others feature paintings that shift when unobserved and machines that allow dying users to revisit crucial life moments. The tales range from political to surreal, examining birds mistaken for surveillance tools and the psychology of being perpetually observed. Each story grapples with fundamental questions about privacy, judgment, and identity in an interconnected world where watchers remain faceless and their true nature stays hidden. The collection captures both the paranoia and strange adaptations that emerge when people know someone is always listening to their calls, reading their messages, and tracking their online activity.
Genres: fiction, science-fiction, dystopia, anthologies, contemporary, 21st-century
Vibes: dark, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: dystopian, near-future
372 pages · Paperback · OR Books