Science Fiction Annotation

 

Author: Megan Angelo          

Title: Followers

Genre: Science Fiction

Publication Date: November 10, 2020

Number of Pages: 416 pages

Geographical Setting: Constellation, California and New York, New York

Time Period: 2015 and 2051

Series: N/A

Plot Summary: In 2015, aspiring writer Orla rents out a room in her apartment in New York to Floss, a wannabe celebrity. Together, they come up with a plan that will get them both famous, even if their methods are a little questionable. Their plans work and fame comes, until a publicity stunt gone wrong has deadly consequences. Meanwhile, in 2051, Marlow lives in a locked down city called Constellation, where the government has chosen people to be influencers and have their entire lives filmed and their storylines be at the mercy of “the network”. Smartphones are a thing of the past thanks to a data breach called “The Spill” and instead, Americans have devices implanted in their wrists that track them, direct their thoughts and show influencers such as Marlow the comments on her feed. When Marlow’s latest storyline causes her to learn her entire family history is a lie, she runs away from Constellation and sets out to find out the truth.

Subject Headings: Fame fiction, conspiracy fiction, women fiction, social media fiction, friendship fiction, future.

Appeal:

1. Tone: the casual nature in which the dystopian future is described, for example, mentioning the implanted devices without comment on their ethicality, takes readers out of their comfort zone and forces them to imagine a future world the way that the book describes.

2. Pacing: the back and forth between 2015 and the future causes the book to be fast-paced; it keeps readers going to try and reach the point where the two time periods meet up and questions are answered about the connection between the characters in the present day and future.  

3. Frame/setting: The futuristic setting of Constellation transports readers to another world. Although the future is very different and dystopian, it is not so different from our current world that it confuses readers or feels far-fetched.

3 terms that best describe this book: dystopian, cautionary, thought-provoking

3 Relevant Fiction Works and their Authors

·         Touch by Courtney Maum- Although set in present day instead of the future, both books are written about the downsides of social media, technology and being a celebrity.

·         The Circle by Dave Eggers- Both books discuss the dangers of social media in a not too far away future where the internet is run by the government.

·         The Farm by Joanne Ramos- Like Followers, this book features a closed off living community where its residents are monitored; however, instead of for fame like in Followers, the women live here in exchange for giving birth to a child for someone else.

3 Relevant Non-Fiction Works and Authors:

·         Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now by Jaron Lanier- This book advocates for deleting social media accounts, which is something some readers of Followers may want to do after reading it.

·         Killing the Legends: The Lethal Danger of Celebrity by Bill O’Reilly- This book follows the lives of three famous celebrities and shows the negative results of their fame, a theme that is also throughout Followers.

·         Counting the Cost by Jill Duggar- Like Marlow in Followers, Jill grew up being filmed on the show 19 Kids and Counting. The book follows her journey as she grows, starts seeing red flags, and eventually breaks away from her family’s ultra-strict religious lifestyle.