Proxy, by Alex LondonRead about another entry on the list.
London’s 2013 novel updates a classic dystopian science fiction idea—the haves above lord over the have-nots below—with modern sensibilities and a gay teen protagonist. In London’s world, residents of the Lower City are inescapably indebted to citizens of the Upper City. In practice, the wealthy and powerful of the Upper City will buy off the debts of the poor; in exchange, the Lower City residents act as proxies for patrons who break the law, serving any required prison sentences and accepting any punishment to be metered out (they also can be called upon to provide blood or organs when needed). Syd Carton is proxy to a wild, rebellious young man who kills a woman with his car. What follows sets up Syd as the Lower’s City’s only hope of eradicating the unfair system. It’s heavy stuff, no doubt, but a great choice for kids ready to tackle bigger themes, and it will get them used to looking beyond the surface story to find the deeper resonance—which is one of the things that’s truly great about SFF.
--Marshal Zeringue
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