Set in an unnamed city at the moment where AI has become the main support structure for society, this near-future vision feels all-too relatable. We see this world through the eyes of May, the mother of a young family unit struggling to make ends meet, and her efforts to create the best life for her children. A study of parental pressure and anxiety in the face of continually intrusive technology, this is a chilling, darkly humorous read.
After clearing the table, she went to the children's room to retrieve the suitcase from their closet. Both of their wooms glowed from within, Lu's blue, Sy's green .... The wooms looked like two child-sized eggs, upright on their plastic stands. She knew that if she pulled up the accordion covers currently Velcroed shut to seal the plastic pods, she'd find her children nestled into the cushioned insides, staring at their bunnies or staring at the walls of the wooms where anything - as long as one endured the ads - could be projected from the internet. Wooms were cheap, thanks to the ads. Bunnies were cheap, thanks to the ads. Phones were cheap, thanks to the ads.
But rent was high.
