“Dystopia now” is a fitting tagline for this collection of 4 novellas. Even though this is fiction, I feel like everyone should read it. It feels...important. The parallels with the modern world are striking. And Doctorow does a masterful job of creating characters that you can be invested in, even over fewer than 100 pages. It makes for an emotional experience, which is exactly what’s needed when discussing issues such as these.

It kept me turning pages like few books have recently. And had me exasperated and sorrowful and angry in turn. I read each novella in a single setting, and was gripped from beginning to end.

Read it. 5.0 stars.