5 books to read if you loved Canada Reads contender Radicalized by Cory Doctorow
Radicalized by Cory Doctorow is a collection of sci-fi novellas that tackle subjects like digital rights, racism, police brutality and classism. Set in the not-too-distant future, the short stories are timely and eerie reflections of the world we live in today — and challenge us to think about ethics in the way technology is developed and implemented.
Finished with Radicalized and looking for your next read? Here are five Canadian novels to check out.
Radicalized was defended on Canada Reads 2020 by Akil Augustine.
American War by Omar El Akkad
A second American civil war has broken out and Sarat Chestnut was born on the losing side. Raised primarily in a refugee camp in the south, Sarat is shaped by displacement and loss and becomes an instrument of war. Addressing themes of environmental collapse, social division and foreign interference, this novel follows the radicalization of a person.
Like Doctorow's Radicalized, American War imagines a near-future America where people carry out politically-motivated acts of violence, and looks at some of the reasons behind their extreme actions.
American War was defended by Tahmoh Penikett on Canada Reads 2018.
The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline
In the dystopian world of Cherie Dimaline's award-winning The Marrow Thieves, climate change has ravaged the Earth and a continent-wide hunt and slaughter of Indigenous people is underway. Wanted for their bone marrow, which contains the lost ability to dream, a group of Indigenous people seek refuge in the old lands.
Much like Radicalized, The Marrow Thieves takes its cues from historical and present-day events. Both books feature a resilient found-family struggling for control of their collective destinies.
The Marrow Thieves, won the Governor General's Literary Award for children's text in 2017 and was defended by Jully Black on Canada Reads 2018.
All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai
Screenwriter and author Elan Mastai has a knack for humorous storytelling and witty prose, skills he puts to good use with his debut novel All Our Wrong Todays. It's 2016 and, in Tom Barren's world, technology has solved all of humanity's problems — there's no war, no poverty, no under-ripe avocados. Unfortunately, Tom isn't happy. He's lost the girl of his dreams. And what do you do when you're heartbroken and have a time machine? Something stupid. What happens next is a funny and bittersweet adventure.
Doctorow and Mastai use humour and suspense to tell intriguing stories centred around developing and using technology ethically. Radicalized and All Our Wrong Todays ask us to consider how much of a dystopia we already live in.
Tarry This Night by Kristyn Dunnion
As civil war brews above ground in the U.S., a dangerous cult led by a man named Father Ernst lurks below. Tarry This Night follows the trials of Ruth who spends her life trapped in an underground bunker with a group known as the Family and facing the terrifying possibility of becoming Father Ernst's next wife. Themes of misogyny, religious extremism and fear radiate throughout this novel.
Radicalized and Tarry This Night create worlds where bunker-dwelling doomsday preppers are plagued with food shortages and inter-community warfare. The books both look at what can happen when people become physically isolated and social bonds begin to deteriorate.
Brown Girl in the Ring by Nalo Hopkinson
Nalo Hopkinson's Brown Girl in the Ring is set in 2049 Toronto, after the city has experienced an economic collapse and becomes overrun by poverty and violence. Hopkinson's debut novel is a tale filled with magic, mystery and folklore and an unforgettable black protagonist.
Similar to Doctorow's collection, Brown Girl in the Ring explores themes of economic inequality in a world where the wealthy benefit at the expense of the have-nots.
Brown Girl in the Ring was a Canada Reads 2008 contender, when it was defended by radio host Jemini.
