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380 pages, Hardcover
First published June 7, 2016
There was a study, done with minimally educated voters who, given a hypothetical ballot, picked the names of famous serial killers over randomly generated names as well as over those of actual, less well-know politicians.
And those voters often vote against their own interests:The new Heritage coalition of wealthy, experience global corporates ignored the accessibility of Information, produced their standard glossy misinformation, and not only took the Supermajority but won centenals where, analysts agreed, it was demonstrably not in the interest of the people living there to vote for them.
So...great ideas, but...just getting to the 42% mark was a slog for me. First, the story is heavy on show don't tell to the point where I still don't understand how the multitude of micro-democracies--most countries no longer exist--work. Or when or how often elections like the one taking place in the novel, occur. Clearly several "governments" are vying for Supermajority. This is bad, or good, or...hell if I know.
The writing is serviceable, but sort of bland and reporter-ly. The characters--eh--all blend together and have pretty much the same voice. Flat, emotionless. There's no sense of urgency or tension, not even during a chase scene.
This is clearly a novel for readers who love minutia and idea-driven fiction. I'm not adverse to idea-driven fiction, but need more character development, more exposition, and...less tedium.
Nope.