Infomocracy

January 11, 2016
Older’s sparkling debut, the first full-length novel from the novella-focused Tor.com imprint, serves as both a callback to classic futurist adventure tales by the likes of Brunner and Bester and a current examination of the power of information. In the (slightly implausible) future, most of the world is part of a massive democracy divided into “centenals” of 100,000 people. Governments are global and overlapping, and each centenal decides which government to belong to. A worldwide organization known as Information manages elections and attempts to keep governments’ campaign promises in check; the governments themselves range from corporate ones such as PhilipMorris to more traditional ones with names like Liberty and Policy1st. Ken, a Brazilian of Japanese descent who works for the Policy1st government, is attempting to research non-Policy1st centenals that might be willing to change governments in the upcoming election. After he learns of a potential conspiracy involving the election, he ends up working with (and falling for) Information agent Mishima. Older creates a fascinating future world and populates it with a wide variety of characters with believable and interesting motivations. She also throws in some great action scenes and nifty technology. This intriguing thought experiment is perfectly timed to leave readers pondering the meaning of voting and representative government in the run-up to the 2016 elections.

Starred review from May 1, 2016
A debut sci-fi author suggests that the electoral process could be even scarier, more convoluted, and more subject to factual distortions than it currently is. In the future, the entire world signs on to the "micro-democracy" form of government. Each population of 100,000 people, or "centenal," votes every 10 years for a government in their area; the one who wins the most centenals gains the Supermajority. Elections and voting are operated and monitored by Information, the organization that also runs the Internet, the phone, and all broadcasting systems. Heritage has held the Supermajority for decades, but the outcome for them seems less certain as the election looms. Both Mishima, an expert troubleshooter for Information, and Ken, an ambitious campaigner for the up-and-coming Policy1st government, hear rumors that the powerful Liberty government might be trying to start a war. Anarchist Domaine, in a loud but essentially ineffectual way, argues for the downfall of the current political system. When an act of sabotage brings down Information on Election Day, who's to blame, and what is their ultimate goal? The romance between Mishima and Ken feels somewhat undeveloped, but it's counterbalanced by the larger themes Older is exploring. The author brings a considerable amount of experience and scholarly knowledge to bear here--she has traveled all over the world as an expert in disaster management and is pursuing a graduate degree in the sociology of disaster response. The result is a frighteningly relevant exploration of how the flow of information (small i, both true and false) can manipulate public opinion--in particular, how fear and the desperate desire for safety can become such strong factors in swaying the vote. Some aspects of the story may risk dating, but on the whole, timely and perhaps timeless.

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May 15, 2016

There's an election coming up, and campaign operatives such as Ken are traveling the globe to drum up support for their party. Government isn't local in the near future. The world is divided into centenals of 100,000 people, and parties vie for their votes, hoping to win the Supermajority. Many of the parties are wholly owned corporate entities, but some, like Ken's idealistic Policy1st party, campaign on issues. Ken crosses paths with Mishima, an agent working for Information (this future realm's version of the Internet that also watches over the elections), and Domaine, a man aiming to bring down the election process. As the vote gets closer, it's clear that many will do anything in their power to get the outcome they desire. VERDICT First-time author Older's universe is fascinating, with its believable if cynical view of how politics might evolve in the information age. The pace is brisk with enough action for fans of political thrillers, but with plenty of futuristic touches for sf lovers.--MM

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