Le Meilleur des mondes

Set in London in the year 632 After Ford, the novel imagines a society where babies are produced in bottles, sorted into castes, and taught by sleep-learning to be content. Soma, free sex and mass entertainment keep everyone docile. Bernard Marx, an unhappy Alpha, brings Lenina to a reservation where they find John, the son of a woman from the World State. John, shocked by the shallow life he finds in London, argues with the World Controller Mustapha Mond.

A fine choice for anyone interested in a different kind of dystopia, based on pleasure instead of terror. It raises questions about happiness, freedom and technology that still seem current.

Deep, contemplative and thought-provoking; a moderate read.

Best for readers like The Deep Diver. Which reader are you?