n the early 21st century, the world is suffering from overpopulation
that threatens even the relatively affluent people of America. The overcrowded
billions of Earth are being subjected to debilitating psychological and
sociological pressures. Eugenics laws prohibit most people from having
children, and only a rare few with perfect genotypes are allowed to breed.
Parents suspected of having too many children are ostracized, or even
attacked, and insane individuals turn into mass-killing "muckers" on city
streets.
Norman House and Donald Hogan are typical single affluent male New
Yorkers sharing an apartment. Norman is a vice president for a major
corporation, while Donald reviews technical information for a secretive
government agency. At a party, they meet Chad Mulligan, a sociologist best
known as the author of subversive commentaries on humanity's current plight.
Norman's company is approached by a representative of the African country of Beninia, seeking help for their impoverished country, which is likely to be conquered by its neighbors after its aging leader dies. With the help of their near-sentient computer, Shalmaneser, they develop a plan to develop the small country as a commercial center to handle the mineral resources from their nearby underwater mining operations. Meanwhile, mild-mannered Donald finds that he is also a conditioned secret operative. After being further conditioned as a trained killer, he is sent to the Asian island nation of Yatatang to abduct a scientist who claims to have discovered how to create children who are not only genetically sound, but enhanced.
Upon visiting Beninia, Norman finds a population seemingly unaffected by the psychological stresses tearing apart other societies, and Shalmaneser
refuses to believe the input data. Norman brings in Chad to save the
project, and he eventually finds an explanation for the Beninians'
unique nonviolence.
A true dystopian classic
John Brunner's Hugo Award-winning Stand on Zanzibar is a classic SF dystopia as well as being perhaps the best novel ever written on the theme of overpopulation. It is a pessimistic and didactic novel that posits dire psychological consequences as humanity psychologically and sociologically degrades from the pressures of too many people and too few resources.
However, the novel is known more for its innovative style and its stark picture of the future than its story line. Brunner appropriated the style of modernist author John Dos Passos, who wrote several novels criticizing American
culture in the 1930s. It consists of a collage of chapters that alternate
between the main narratives, numerous subplots involving dozens of lesser
characters, sections from contemporary books, newspapers, television shows,
and magazines, and other odds and ends indicative of the 21st century
society of the novel. The resulting mosaic evokes a strange and complex
future world that remains believable and effective even when stretched to
the point of black comedy.
Some readers may find this classic novel difficult to read. The book
starts slowly as Brunner builds his vision of a crowded future world. And the novel is nearly 600 pages long, only about half of which relate the primary narrative. The slang and attitudes of Brunner's New Yorkers also have a decidedly British feel, which can be disconcerting. But readers who persevere will be rewarded.
Stand on Zanzibar is not an easy book to read, but it is well worth the effort.
