RADICALIZED

Cory Doctorow's four futuristic novellas are aided by four well-chosen narrators who each capture the essence of their given story. The works reflect today's issues and come to life through Doctorow's usual insightful and critical lens. Each novella offers something interesting-- from Poe's classic story reimagined as a tale of a modern apocalypse ("Masque of the Red Death") to a story of homegrown terrorism as a result of inadequate health insurance ("Radicalized"), a story of the racial politics of a superhuman alien on earth ("Model Minority"), and another on corporate exploitation of the poor through automation and product placement ("Unauthorized Bread"). Stefan Rudnicki, Wil Wheaton, and Mirron Willis give their usual stellar performances, but Lameece Issaq's performance of "Unauthorized Bread" is the standout because of how she balances its mixture of characters and draws out its tension. L.E. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2019]