In an alternate future where the controversial one-child policy has spread into a global phenomenon, the Southern metropolis of Arish, Tennessee has become a battleground for various groups warring over its legitimacy.
Alexis Bedinger is a rookie officer on the Population Control Task Force who believes it is every citizenâs moral duty to plan their family accordinglyâbut after an unarmed man is killed during a routine house raid, tensions rise with a public outcry for justice.
Myra Gillespieâs family was torn apart by the One-Child Law. She has joined the United Front for Reproductive Freedom (UFRF) to peacefully protest it, but as events escalate she has to decide just how far she is willing to go for the cause.
All the while, the Revenants of the Confederacy, a terrorist organization longing for the glory days of Southern independence, are planning their retaliation . . .
In an alternate future where the controversial one-child policy has spread into a global phenomenon, the Southern metropolis of Arish, Tennessee has become a battleground for various groups warring over its legitimacy.
Alexis Bedinger is a rookie officer on the Population Control Task Force who believes it is every citizenâs moral duty to plan their family accordinglyâbut after an unarmed man is killed during a routine house raid, tensions rise with a public outcry for justice.
Myra Gillespieâs family was torn apart by the One-Child Law. She has joined the United Front for Reproductive Freedom (UFRF) to peacefully protest it, but as events escalate she has to decide just how far she is willing to go for the cause.
All the while, the Revenants of the Confederacy, a terrorist organization longing for the glory days of Southern independence, are planning their retaliation . . .
Alexis entered the locker room with the other would-be recruits. It was the last day of tactical training at the Population Control Academy in Arish, Tennessee and she was beyond exhausted. She stowed her helmet, camel pack, and Kevlar in the locker with the rest of her gear before undressing. She pretended to ignore the two women hatefully glaring in her direction from the other end of the locker room as she headed into the showers.
She placed her body wash on the shoulder-high dividing wall beside her and held her towel as she told the voice interface her desired water temperature. As the warm water started, the two women, still in uniform, quickly snuck up behind her and blocked the way out.
"I wasn't aware I had a fan club," Alexis said without turning from the running shower faucet.
"Bedinger, people like you make me sick. Betraying your own kind in a world where they already overrun us," said the shorter blond woman to her right.
Patrice Schaffer was part of a White supremacist group known as the Galton Alliance named after Francis Galton, the Father of Eugenics. When Alexis discovered this she'd alerted the higher-ups in the academy, who immediately launched an investigation into Patrice's past and her political connections.
"If you two really wanted to join me in the shower you could've just asked nicely." Alexis smirked as she lowered her towel in front of her, allowing the warm water to soak it until it became heavy and waterlogged.
Patrice grinned back at her. "You know, Sheila, I don't think she fully comprehends her current situation."
In her peripheral vision Alexis could see the tall, stocky woman to her left lean in and place a hand on the wall beside her head in an effort to intimidate her.
Alexis nodded. "You know, I find it funny that you Galtonists think you're so superior, but you're just going to create a world full of inbred hicks." She paused for a moment then added, "Like yourself."
Patrice pounded her fist against the opposite dividing wall of the shower and snarled through clenched teeth. "All right, Sheila, let's show this bitch what happens when you run your mouth."
Alexis threw the soaked towel over her shoulder onto Sheila's face, obstructing her view. Then she swung her right elbow into Patrice's nose with enough force to send her reeling into the opposite shower stall.
Sheila ripped away the towel clinging to her face just in time to feel Alexis's fist collide into her stomach. She hunched forward in pain, only to have one hand grab her by the shirt collar and another by the waist of her pants. The next thing she knew, she was careening headfirst into a ceramic tile wall.
Alexis stood over Sheila for a few seconds to be fully sure that the woman wasn't getting back up. The shower was still running full blast, and she watched as the water cascaded down her own body and onto Sheila's unconscious face before it noisily exited down the drain. Then she turned around and looked into the opposing shower stall where Patrice lay on her back, hands cradling her face as blood seeped between her fingers.
Patrice groaned loudly, then mumbled through her clasped hands, "You broke my fucking nose."
Alexis calmly picked up her body wash then stepped out of the shower stall and headed back to the locker room. She opened up Patrice's locker, found a towel, and patted herself dry. It's dumb fucks like that who give this profession a bad name, she thought as she slammed the locker door shut and got dressed for her day.
Stop me if youâve heard this one. While a failing government takes over reproductive rights, the oblivious wealthy treat themselves to lavish vacations to escape reality and the poor do the same using whatever meager technology they can acquire. Let Us Sleep Now by Jesse Muchmore is set in a dystopian future that alarmingly mirrors current events. Told from the perspective of several intertwined characters, these storylines eventually merge to create a picture of resistance and strong people that fight for their beliefs. These characters range from Alexis, who is a newly graduated Population Control Officer to Myra who grew up in the foster system after her family was ripped apart because of the one-child law. Â Alexis believes irresponsible breeding has had catastrophic consequences and will lead to the destruction of humanity. Myra is part of a civil rights activist group and tries to intercept raids on families with multiple children so that families can grow together as they choose.
Although the large cast of characters is daunting at first, the storylines tie together quite tidily early on. Each main character is well developed, as are their backstories and motivations. This story checks all the boxes for a good, fictional, dystopian novel: characters acting through their own strong sense of morality, political extremists, those that would take advantage of the situation using religion, and those that they ensnare. The author also posted any possible trigger warnings at the beginning of the novel. Overall, I am rating this book a 4 out of 5 stars.
While I wouldnât categorize this novel as âlight readingâ by any means, it is a good standalone novel that fits nicely into the dystopian genre. Anyone who enjoys speculating about the bleaker possible futures of mankind or any other dystopian trope is sure to enjoy this novel.