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Betterment

Date

2020

Authors

Thomas, Michelle, author
Altschul, Andrew, advisor
Levy, EJ, committee member
Mao, KuoRay, committee member

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Abstract

Betterment explores a possible near future in the Southeastern Michigan town of Harwood, fifteen years into recovery from a pandemic caused by the virus H1X1. In Harwood, neglected infrastructure of pipes and waste management led to the spread of contaminant poison which laid the groundwork for a medical crisis. Although the town was able to recover, the pandemic intensified racial segregation and severely restricted the mobility of minority communities (primarily African American) in terms of housing, healthcare, and employment. Corinne Matlock, sister to the first minority to die in relation to H1X1, tries to navigate the grief of her brother's death, protect her younger brother from meeting the same fate, and avoid stepping outside of the new rules of society, the punishment for which is being sent off to a quarantine center, possibly indefinitely. This dystopian novel looks at the story of an individual as well as her community, as they struggle to survive in a world where the laws were written to erase them.

Description

Rights Access

Access is limited to the Colorado State University community only.

Subject

dystopia
Michigan
speculative
fiction
African-American
pandemic

Citation

Associated Publications