4 out of 4 stars
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The thing I love most about dystopian fiction is the possibility of it being a reality in the future. World, Incorporated: A Modern Dystopia by Tom Gariffo is one such story. Set in the year 2058, the world is now run by six supercorporations after the downfall of the American economy. What is a supercorporation? A business that provides everything to everyone including food, shelter, health, education, work, and of course goods and services. Everyone is a consumer and is recorded in the supercorporations’ registries. Massive and personalized advertisements are present in every possible space. Consumer loyalty is the goal.
Driven by the need to remain in power, the supercorporations are not above eliminating their enemies by any means necessary. For World, Incorporated, one of the six supercorporations, Agent Sliver is the man to take care of such threats. Without questions, Agent Sliver takes every necessary measure to correct or eliminate his assigned targets. However, much more aware than the CEO, Fellrock, thinks he is, Sliver begins to realize the monster he’s been turned into. Deceived, misguided, and hungry for revenge, Sliver decides to take his life into his own hands and create his own purpose.
World, Incorporated is realistic, entertaining, and action-packed. The fact that this plot could be possible in the future is thought-provoking alone, but the author created a world that is also intriguing. With universal access to education, guaranteed employment and housing, a digital currency, and financial security, it’s easy to get wrapped up in such a “utopia” without thinking about the possible downfalls such as lack of freedom and privacy.
Along with the extraordinary futuristic world, Tom Gariffo is spot on with his characterization. Sliver is portrayed as a broken man, simply just living without feeling. The reader can’t help but feel sorry for him and root for him in the end. Every other character we meet brings their own personality to the story as well. My only complaint about the story is the background information we get in the form of news articles and blogs. They were painfully boring. However, I do understand the purpose of them, as there would be a huge gap in our understanding of this new world without the information.
Dystopian fiction is one of my favorite genres and World, Incorporated did not disappoint, so I give this story 4 out of 4 stars. I highly recommend it to readers who like dystopian novels, history, and science fiction. I think those who enjoy history will appreciate the background information, but for those who don’t, I promise the story is worth reading until the end.
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World, Incorporated
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