Moxyland

by Lauren Beukes

Moxyland follows four protagonists in a near future South African dystopian society. The society relies heavily on technology. Citizens use SIMs in cell phones to access their homes, money, jobs, various areas of Cape Town, and is also used as punishment. If a citizen commits a crime, he/she can be “disconnected” which means “no phone, no service, [and] no life.” Being disconnected essentially means to be an outsider of society. The technologically advanced society, where online presence is important to life, considers this form of punishment worse than imprisonment.

Throughout the novel, the main characters’ (Toby, Tendeka, Kendra, and Lerato) actions reflect the fear of being disconnected. Tendeka, an idealistic anti-corporation activist, is against the amount of power the government/ corporation has. By being dependent on technology, the government and corporations have a substantial amount of control over the fate of the citizens. The citizens’ power is limited due to this relationship. Although Tendeka fears disconnection, he enlists the help of Toby to protest against the government through a variety of methods. Most of these methods require the technological assistance of Lerato, a computer programmer who works for a major corporation. While Tendeka tries to change the way society works, Kendra is sponsored by a corporation. She consented to having nanobots injected into her body which claims to prevent aging and prevent sickness. The nanotechnology makes her addicted to a soft drink called Ghost. Unlike the other characters, Kendra does not try to fight against the way dystopian society works. She instead takes pictures of what is around her and does not take a stand. However, as the story progresses she is brought into the chaos due to Tendeka's orders from skyward*; an online contact from a game.

Tendeka faithfully follows through believing his actions will provoke change, instead things take a turn for the worst and one begins to wonder who really is in charge. As the mechanics of the government's system is revealed, the true purpose of the government is exposed.