Alice Sheldon

side by side series of the cover of The Girl Who Was Plugged In

Alice Sheldon’s Unveiling of Humanity

ByYardenne Greenspan

In “The Girl Who Was Plugged In,” a futuristic society has found a loophole in a law forbidding commercial advertisements—the use of “gods,” young, beautiful, pre-programmed, and mechanically-engineered celebrities whose lives are a series of opportunities for product placement. In this world, where perfection has been manufactured, the flawed are easily swept under the rug, removed from public view, and used for parts.

Science Fiction for the New Year (and the New Administration)

Science Fiction for the New Year (and the New Administration)

ByJoelle Renstrom

Classics such as George Orwell’s 1984 with its now-ubiquitous “Big Brother,” Ray Bradbury’s censorship critique Fahrenheit 451, and Margaret Atwood’s terrifyingly gender-regressive Handmaid’s Tale depict societies strangled by the evil clutches of the government and the populace’s inability to identify and challenge their own manipulation.