Read about another book on the list.The Diamond Age, by Neal Stephenson
Like [William Gibson's] Virtual Light, The Diamond Age is set in a future where rich and poor are divided by rigid class divisions. Many people live in enclaves defined by wealth - and some, like our protagonists, live in a neo-Victorian world where social norms of the 19th century are lovingly embraced. But things are about to change, because an educational primer written for a little rich girl falls into the hands of a poor street kid. Educated by the digital book, she becomes a keen strategist and sets about to change the world by educating other abandoned children like herself. This novel explores a number of fascinating themes, not the least of which is how culture and education are shaped by economics. The one resource that could change the balance of power between rich and poor, Stephenson seems to suggest, is education.
Diamond Age is a book that "deeply inspired" Anna North, author of America Pacifica.
--Marshal Zeringue
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