GENERATION A by Douglas Coupland (Random House), 297 pages, $32.95 cloth. Rating: NNNN
Douglas Coupland caught the spirit of his own time in his breakthrough Generation X. Now he’s figured out how to tune into the zeitgeist of the future.
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His new, funny yet disturbing novel, Generation A, imagines a dystopic society where bees are extinct, flowers rare and fresh fruits and vegetables available only to the very rich.
When five people situated in far-flung locations get bee stings, they’re rounded up, isolated and scrutinized before being brought together to communicate with each other. Why? Not for the eco-positive reasons you’d think.
Though this is a story about the near future, Coupland’s got his eye on issues that are very much present tense.
Each of his human lab rats is addicted to the Internet in his or her own way: Zack, who grows corn, one of the few farmable crops still around, makes DIY online porn Julien’s obsession with a virtual war game keeps him housebound. And apiaries worldwide are in crisis today.
There’s a subplot about a too-attractive new drug, and some astute observations on pop culture when the five sting victims become instant pop stars.
But as you’re revelling in Coupland’s wit and political acumen, a knockout section offering a trenchant commentary on storytelling suddenly hits you: how the best tales work, what inspires us and how stories can change the world.
Don’t miss it.
Coupland talks about Generation A at Indigo Tuesday (September 22), is interviewed by Ian Brown Wednesday (September 23) at the Reference Library and appears at U of T’s Scarborough Science Building September 24. See Readings.
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