Golden State by Ben H. Winters (2019) – After a catastrophe, a new nation arises, Golden State, where the truth is the center of all life. Enforcing the truth in every aspect of his society’s life is Laszlo Ratecic, an agent of the state’s Speculative Service. But even in a society dedicated to the concept of absolute truth in even the smallest detail, there may be secrets that shouldn’t be uncovered.
When I picked up this book, I had no idea who Ben H. Winters was. Had no idea he was a Philip K. Dick award winner. Or that he had won an Edgar award. I know him now, and I know why he has received the acclaim he has.
In this post-apocalyptic version of America, Winters creates a new vision of what authoritarianism could look like in a surveillance state. The future is off-limits as a topic. It can not be spoken of factually, only speculatively. The past, beyond a certain point, is not to spoken of either. The citizens are trapped in an infinite now, where every detail of their life is recorded. As in George Orwell’s “1984”, Big Brother is always watching, but with the added caveat that the individual records and saves a personal, daily record of even the smallest details.
Into this carefully crafted world, Winters brings us to an investigation of an unusual death. That’s where Ratecic’s carefully constructed world view begins to unravel.
It was the details of the world that fascinated me at the beginning. Weave in a well-woven mystery and the book carried me along effortlessly. Winters’ writing is fluid, and the storytelling is compelling.
As I approached the end, I began to worry about how he was going to wrap it up. The story seemed to wobble worse and worse the closer I came to the end. It seemed lame and forced. Then, at the very end, Winters flipped a surprise in. One that offered a much better coda to the story that I enjoyed so much. The end of the book remains weaker than the rest of the story, but not irredeemably so. I closed the back cover with a lighter heart.
I keep seeing comparisons to the movie “Minority Report”, which really misses the mark. Yes, they both describe surveillance states. The difference is that the movie depicts a society based on speculation. They believe they can predict the future. “Golden State” is based on a form of groupthink that speaks much more of “1984” or “Fahrenheit 451”. It doesn’t reach the heights of either of those books, but it is a worthy resident of the shelf below them.
Inventive, thoughtful and challenging, Winters creates a world that is compelling and cautionary.
Rating – **** Recommended
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