The population is controlled by a typeface called HellSans - just reading it keeps you happy and docile. This is a world where miniature personal computers follow their owners everywhere. They prepare food, monitor your health, direct your car: and inform the government of your every thought. If you wonder about AI and driverless cars and worry that Alexa is listening all the time: this world is only a little ahead of ours!
It was what lay beneath that fascinated me .... The bio components weren't only practical - they helped people bond to them. The early models had blue blood and didn't bleed easily. When later models came in, the blood was red and they bled when damaged. People reacted emotionally; they took better care of them, bonded with them. Further models included an organ similar to a heart, so that when you lay your ear against its chest you could hear its 'heart' beat.
