The right word to describe this collection slips my mind right now. Is it hard-boiled? Never you mind that I like it and while I’ve never read Walter Mosely a black author who is perhaps better known for his mystery novels I can say that Futureland was pretty good in some places.
As a student of Afrofuturism I’d recommend this collection to anyone who likes their science fiction with a heavy does of say cerebral stimulation as compared to cinematic action. The books collection of 9 stories move through one world and share a certain ongoing narrative and historical backdrop as well as some shared characters. Over the course of the collection we move from small farming towns, to corrupt high tech prisons, to private owned corporate islands.
From beginning to end with characters ranging from the boy ” ” to “” Mosely’s world offer’s vision of hope and high technology contrasted with squalor, corruption, and dystopia. I think every story in the collection has a certain appeal as social criticism and highlights one or more social movements whether it be racism, feminism, economic stratification of western countries, the plight of the disenfranchised et cetera. Some of the standouts include Angels Island and the the concluding ” ” .