Things could get worse in a second. A pigeon might see the your head and use it for target practice. You could find a co-worker you don’t really like during your commute and be stuck in conversational limbo for the duration of the trip. Anyways, as I was saying, sh** can go down in a second. But how long does it take for things to get really bad? And what would that really really bad look like? Thankfully, we don’t have to live through it to know. These authors have imagined a dystopian NYC that hopefully, we never get to see.
1. Watchmen by Alan Moore
[entertainingblog]Naked blue men sitting cross-legged on a crater in Mars, Chthulu-like creatures, illegal superheroes…. Alan Moore’s masterpiece is unlike anything you’ve ever read. It’s not only your duty as a New Yorker, but furthermore your duty as a literate human being to pick up a copy of the graphic novel and dig into this unique and twisted vision of New York.
2. Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart
[newyorktimes]It’s hilarious, but it also hurts because it’s too true. In this dystopian NYC, the world is quickly plummeting financially, politically and morally. At the same time, New Yorkers are increasingly obssesed with social media. Yeah. Maybe that hits a bit too close to home.
3. City of Darkness by Ben Bova
[amazon]New York is empty, and people only visit during vacation. A fun trip goes wrong when a dome comes down sealing Manhattan, and our hero loses his government ID allowing him to exit the dome. Now he must learn to survive. Sounds a lot like my week.
[speakertoanimals]12-year-old Lola Hart knows a different Manhattan from you and I. Growing social unrest culminates in bursts of violence throughout the city. Through Lola’s diary we see the downfall of society and how her family learns to survive
[gabriellezevin]In the near future, NYC has not reduced the violent crime quota. In fact, it’s skyrocketed 2000000%. However, Anya Balanchine’s family is NYC’s most notorious mafia. But now, ex-boyfriend is mysteriously poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures. This who-dun-it with a dystopian touch is an absolute page turner.
Did we miss any books? Which of these dystopian futures is NYC headed to? Will SecretNYC become part of the New World Order? Leave a comment below, or we’ll brainwash you!
