SAME SONG, DIFFERENT BEAT
by Ronin Heck
Somewhere after the 2036 elections, civil war broke out in the United States. In the region now known as South California, the Mutual Organization dictates every aspect of citizens’ lives. One family entertains the masses, each member of the family being played by different actors as time goes on.
A veteran of the civil war named Teo Paz, who has suffered a severe ringing in his left ear since the conflict, one day notices that each version of the song “Sunshine Manifesto” sounds exactly the same, despite claims by the Mutual Organization that each version of the song is different. He makes the mistake of telling a coworker his suspicion and his life and identity are forever changed.
In the tradition of We, Brave New World, 1984, and Fahrenheit 451, author Ronin Heck fashions a scathing critique of modern society in the form of a warning about the future. Heck simultaneously delivers satire and reprimand. If we do not heed this cautionary tale, hope for a human future is all but lost.
