REPUBLIC OF EQUALITY - 2033

A debut dystopian satire focuses on a near-future republic in deep trouble.

It is the year 2033 in the Republic of Equality, formerly known as the United States. Far-left factions have taken control and created a one-party socialist landscape of fear. College and health care may be free yet societal costs are going through the roof. Arrests by political police are common. The government sends undesirables, such as unrepentant capitalists, to a prison-camp system in Alaska. Meanwhile, well-connected party members enjoy luxuries regular folks can only dream about. A 22-year-old man named Tom Hardy has grown up in this system. Tom holds affection for old-time things like movies from the 1930s, though his ambitions are rooted in the present day. He has excelled in Equality Studies and will certainly land a good job when he graduates. Tom garners the attention of Isabella “Izzy” Fanella. Izzy eventually reveals that she is a member of an underground movement seeking to break up the horrid status quo. Of course, members of the underground who are caught receive brutal punishments. Will Tom and Izzy be able to make the changes they want to see in the world even if doing so requires a complete upheaval? The narrative takes some time in explaining exactly how this bleak 2033 came about. The reasons involve political purges, the elimination of moderate liberals, the refusal of people to heed the reports available on Newsmax (or from freethinker Tucker Carlson, for that matter), and the overdemonization of a former “brash conservative” U.S. president. This information dump proves both dense and not particularly creative. Still, it sets the stage for the elaborate tale to come. Hejna’s novel is adept at tackling touchy subjects like race relations head-on. If, for instance, new government employees of European descent do not partake in bizarre “Diversity and Inclusion training,” they may as well look for another job. Meanwhile, Tom and Izzy must try to maintain their fledgling connection through revolutionary times. While their relationship is not as complex as, say, the main players’ bond in Gary Shteyngart’s Super Sad True Love Story (2010), the couple’s fate remains an open and intriguing question.

An often blunt satirical tale that’s genuinely edgy.