I've just realised that 2 out of the 4 books this week have been sci-fi and I'm about to add another one.
Like Louise Lawrence and HM Hoover, Monica Hughes wrote thoughtful sci-fi with excellent female characters. In the tomorrow city, she tackles a subject that's much more relevant today than it was 15 years ago. How do we weigh personal freedom versus being told what's good for us?
Caro's father is a computer whiz and he's designed the prototype computer that will run the city that they live in. When it's switched on, the computer's heavy handed declaration that the fat mayor should walk to work nearly gets it switched off, but Caro gives the computer advice to be more gentle in its approach however, she doesn't expect mind control.
The computer is run for the children, so old people are expendable, homeless people are killed and sweets are removed from sale because, it's not good for the kiddies. The entire populace are conned by the machine and cameras everywhere make resistance difficult. Along with her friend, Caro tries to stop the computer's dominion and by the end it's a fun ride. The ending is a shock and not what you expect from a teen book now and certainly not then.
This is a prescient book and very well written. It's short, to the point and enjoyable. Please find a copy and read.
Like Louise Lawrence and HM Hoover, Monica Hughes wrote thoughtful sci-fi with excellent female characters. In the tomorrow city, she tackles a subject that's much more relevant today than it was 15 years ago. How do we weigh personal freedom versus being told what's good for us?
Caro's father is a computer whiz and he's designed the prototype computer that will run the city that they live in. When it's switched on, the computer's heavy handed declaration that the fat mayor should walk to work nearly gets it switched off, but Caro gives the computer advice to be more gentle in its approach however, she doesn't expect mind control.
The computer is run for the children, so old people are expendable, homeless people are killed and sweets are removed from sale because, it's not good for the kiddies. The entire populace are conned by the machine and cameras everywhere make resistance difficult. Along with her friend, Caro tries to stop the computer's dominion and by the end it's a fun ride. The ending is a shock and not what you expect from a teen book now and certainly not then.
This is a prescient book and very well written. It's short, to the point and enjoyable. Please find a copy and read.
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