It's just 30-40 years in the future, and after centuries of ecological, economical, and racial disparity in policies and action, the rich white folks of the U.S. have left behind the dregs of the country to live in a space station colony. This book, however, is mainly about those who are left — mainly poor people of color, struggling every day with toxic air and depleting resources. Yes, there are a few people returning from the space colony as journalists and first-wave gentrifiers, but the bulk of this book is about the everyday people who are struggling to survive in New Haven, Connecticut.
This was not an easy book to read on many levels — there's not much of a storyline, and it's hard to tell who's speaking and when each passage is taking place, while the struggles of the left-behind people juxtaposed with the cringey journalists and Earth returnees make the events of the books uncomfortable. But I'm pretty sure this book isn't supposed to be an easy read. It's meant to be read and ruminated on and discussed, and I came out of our Orcs & Aliens discussion last night with a much greater appreciation for the book than I had going into the chat. Read this if you're ready for some deep introspection about race, class, and political and ecological policies in the U.S.
