GLOBAL DYSTOPIASBOSTON REVIE

W JUNOT DÍAZ

GLOBALDYSTOPIAS

BOSTON REVIEW JUNOT DÍAZ EDITOR

NALO HOPKINSONMAUREEN MCHUGHCHINA MIÉVILLEJORDY ROSENBERG

NE W STORIES AND INTERVIE WS: CHARLIE JANE ANDERSMARGARET AT WOODTANANARIVE DUEMARIA DAHVANA HEADLEY

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wi l li a m gi b s o n Th a s f a m o u s l y d e c l a r e d, “ Th e f ut ur e is alr e a d y

Th er e —it’s j ust n ot v er y e v e nl y distri b ut e d.” Gi bs o n’s w or ds Th a v e b e e n

m u c Th o n m y mi n d of l at e. H o w c o ul d t Th e y n ot b e? Th e pr esi d e nt is a

w Thit e n ati o n alist s y m p at Thi z er w Th o c as u all y t Thr e at e ns c o u ntri es wit Th

g e n o ci d e a n d w Th o c a n’t w ait t o b uil d a gr e at w all a cr oss t Th e n e c k of t Th e

c o nti n e nt t o k e e p o ut all t Th e “ b a d Th o m br es.” Aft er a Th urric a n e n e arl y t o o k

o ut H o ust o n, t Th e c o u ntr y’s m ost visi bl e s ci e ntist, N eil D e Gr ass e Tys o n,

st at e d t Th at t Th e e f e cts of cli m at e c Th a n g e m a y Th a v e gr o w n s o s e v er e t Th at

Th e d o u bts t Th e n ati o n will b e a bl e t o wit Thst a n d t Th e c o ns e q u e n c es. Th e n,

as if o n c u e, P u ert o Ri c o, a U. S. c ol o n y al m ost c o m pl et el y b a n kr u pt b y

n e oli b er al m alf e as a n c e, w as str u c k b y H urri c a n e M ari a wit Th s u c Th a p o c -

al y pti c f or c e t Th at it m or e or l ess k n o c k e d t Th e isl a n d i nt o pr e - m o d er nit y.

E arli er t o d a y a f or m er st u d e nt i nf or m e d m e t Th at m or e s ki n bl e a c Thi n g is

c o ns u m e d i n I n di a t Th a n C o c a- C ol a, a n d o n t Th e e d g e of m y c o m p ut er a

n e w sit e is a n n o u n ci n g t Th at t Th e C Thi n es e g o v er n m e nt Th as m a d e it n e arl y

i m p ossi bl e f or its 7 3 0 milli o n I nt er n et us ers t o e x pr ess o pi ni o ns o nli n e

a n o n y m o usl y. Pl us t This littl e c Th e er y g e m fr o m t Th e Fe d er al R es er v e:

t Th e t o p 1 p er c e nt of t Th e U. S. p o p ul ati o n c o ntr ols 3 8. 6 p er c e nt of t Th e

n ati o n’s w e alt Th, a n i n e q u alit y c Th as m t Th at m a k es t Th e Mi d dl e A g es l o o k

e g alit ari a n. W Th et Th er w e’r e t al ki n g a b o ut o ur c a n ni b al e c o n o mi cs or t Th e

risi n g ti d e of x e n o p Th o bi a or t Th e p er e n ni al t Thr e at of n u cl e ar a n ni Thil ati o n,

it s e e ms t Th at t Th e f ut ur e Th as alr e a d y arri v e d.

A n d t Th at f ut ur e is d yst o pi a n.

We b e g a n o ur Gl o b al D ysto pi as pr oj e ct wit Th t Th e cl arif yi n g r e c o g-

niti o n t Th at it is pr e cis el y i n d ar k ti m es t Th at t Th e d yst o pi a n — as g e nr e, as

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a n arr ati v e str at e g y —is m ost us ef ul. If, as Fr e dri c J a m es o n Th as ar g u e d,

ut o pi a f u n cti o ns as “ a criti c al a n d di a g n osti c i nstr u m e nt,” t Th e n d yst o pi a,

ut o pi a’s “ n e g ati v e c o usi n,” is si mil arl y e q ui p p e d, o nl y m or e s o. I n ass e m -

bli n g t This s p e ci al iss u e, w e w er e dr a w n n ot s o m u c Th t o p urs ui n g t Th e cl assic

“ b a d pl a c es” of ti m es p ast (“ a b o ot st a m pi n g o n a Th u m a n f a c e —f or e v er”)

b ut t Th e c or p us t Th at T o m M o yl a n Th as i d e nti i e d as criti c al d yst o pi as. As

p er L y m a n T o w er S ar g e nt, a n o n e xist e nt s o ci et y t Th at r e a d ers vi e w “ as

w ors e t Th a n c o nt e m p or ar y s o ci et y b ut t Th at n or m all y i n c u d es at l e ast o n e

e ut o pi a n e n cl a v e or Th ol ds o ut Th o p e t Th at t Th e d yst o pi a n b e o v er c o m e.”

M ost si g ni i c a ntl y, criti c al d yst o pi as, i n M o yl a n’s f or m ul ati o n, p oi nt t o

c a us es r at Th er t Th a n m er el y d es cri b e s y m pt o ms. Th eir Thi g Th est f u n cti o n is

t o “ m a p, w ar n a n d Th o p e.”

Th at Th as e v er b e e n o ur c all o v er t Th es e str a n g e tr o u bli n g m o nt Ths —

t o m a p, t o w ar n, t o Th o p e.

I wis Th t o t Th a n k t Th e m a n y brilli a nt writ ers w Th o j oi n e d us o n t This

pr oj e ct. W Thil e n ot e v er y o n e of o ur s u b missi o ns sits e asil y u n d er t Th e

r u bri c of criti c al d yst o pi a, I w o ul d s u b mit t Th e pr oj e ct as a w Th ol e p art a k es

i n s o m e of t Th e g e nr e’s Thi g Th er f u n cti o ns. F or m e, lit er at ur e, a n d t Th os e

f or m ati o ns t Th at s ust ai n it, Th a v e e v er b e e n a e ut o pi c e n cl a v e a g ai nst a d ar k-

e ni n g d yst o pi a n w orl d. If t Th e ass e m bl e d n arr ati v es Th er e ar g u e a n yt Thi n g

i n all t Th eir di v ersit y, it is t Th at d es pit e st at e m e nts t o t Th e c o ntr ar y, it d o es

n ot a p p e ar t Th at w e will e v er r e a c Th p e a k d yst o pi a. N o e n d t o d yst o pi a

b ut als o, f ort u n at el y, n o e n d, n o cl os ur e i n d yst o pi a, n o b o ot st a m pi n g

o n a Th u m a n f a c e —f or e v er. Th e Th u m a n c a p a cit y f or o p pr essi o n mi g Tht b e

li mitl ess, b ut e q u all y li mitl ess ar e o ur dr e a ms f or b ett er pl a c es, f or j usti c e.