Just finished writing a review of Jennifer Government for the mighty Alien. Trading on SF staples of the dystopian future run by mega corporations - like recently republished The Space Merchants - it is a fun, contemporary satire on everything the anti-globalisation movement are against.



Everyone in this near future takes their corporation for their surname, so we have John Nike, Buy Matsui and others. Government is only a tiny agency with no income - there are not taxes to fund it because everything is privatised, even the police (like RoboCop). The whole world is almost entirely Americanised by these corporations, facing each other in two power blocks represented by their reward card schemes. Marketing becomes murder and Rupert Murdoch and Newt Gingrich must be having wet dreams thinking about this type of future.



Maybe not the most original idea, but told in a fun way with a good sense of humour and without getting preachy. Basically if you enjoyed No Logo, Fast Food Nation or Stupid White Men then this is a novel for you to read on holiday this year. There is something ironically amusing in the fact that best-selling anti-globalisation books make huge profits for multi-national corporations who own the major publishers. But I suppose they can indulge these authors in biting the hand that feeds them because these corporate bodies have more hands than a hydra has heads, and like that mythical creature they grow back again and again. Gee it’s enough to make you want to nip over to one of my favourite writer’s blogs and see just what nice pub-based sermon Comrade Ken has for us this week from the People’s Popular Front for Socialist Responsible SF (splitters!). Only kidding, Ken, you know we love you really.