It is the future: Where American children have an electronic ‘feed’ implanted into their brain. This embedded machine grows with them and takes over much of their basic function, to the point that being able to read, write and even speak out loud is considered strange. Everyone with a feed is constantly assaulted with advertising banners and slogans based off detailed consumer profiles, profiles that people are constantly being forced to conform to. All the while the world is dying. There are no more forests, meat is genetically engineered to grown in huge slabs, and people’s skin falling off due to disease is marketed as the latest thing in ‘fashion’. Very few people notice the world is dying, so driven to distraction are they. Welcome to the world of ‘Feed’.
M T Anderson draws on a whole host of classic dystopian science fiction writing to pull off this engaging Young Adult novel. I was reminded strongly of Huxley’s ‘Brave New World’, Pohl’s ‘Space Merchants’ and Bradbury’s ‘Fahrenheit 451’ in particular, but there were shades of many others.
Anderson is clear in comments at the end of the book that it is his intention that ‘Feed’ is read as an allegorical tale, and it is certainly one which will be on my mind for quite some time.
