Is the society in the book better off than ours?

[Jakub Bystrowski]

No, I don't believe the society is better than ours. The life is too rigid and one isn't allowed the freedom to enjoy life. The humans lived like prisoners all the time of their life.

[Bavithra karthikeyan]

In ways of proper organizations and arrangements, then yes it's a better society. But socially and personally, a life controlled by an AI is not a better society at all. Food, clothes, friends are all too personal for AIs to overhear. So no our present society is much better from the society in the book

[Carlos Mata Saenz]

I definitely don't agree with the kind of society that is described in the book. It's paid by the price of lost of freedom, with an absolutist suppression of any different thoughts or ideas. Doubtless, I could live in a society like that, but I would not like it and I think it should be avoided.

[Cynthia Christabel Okolobi]

The futuristic society portrayed in this book is not better than ours. Even though we face recession, over population, economic meltdown and so on, we have the greatest gift and that is freedom. I don't wish to live in a time when AIs will rule humans.

[Claire Twy]

In the futuristic society portrayed in the book, they seem to have managed to control some of the issues we face now in our societies such as the risk of overpopulation, food security... but was it worth the price they paid?

I think this book is a clever critique of society's flaws. If you think about it, our society has people who are obsessed with technology like the people in this book are. People on public transport don't need to be forced by artificial intelligence to focus solely on their phones and avoid any public interaction. People don't need motivation to succumb to the pull of fast fashion and become obsessed with the latest trends. Does the future seem better than what we have now? Or is it just an exaggerated interpretation of our reality?

[Ohanele Chinonyerem]

I think that their society was too sophisticated and the fact that AI had to intrude into the citizens personal life was not cool. So with that I don’t think their community was better than ours.

[Shem Murundu]

No, I don't think the society portrayed in the book was better than this world. First of all, the risk of overpopulation was only controlled in the inner districts and in the places ruled by the Hierarchy, not outside. Secondly, the idea of mothers being mere breeders and children being separated from their moms at such a young age and being kind of indoctrinated is a horrible idea, turning humans into robot-like things devoid of emotion and empathy is a nightmare that I wouldn't wish to be a part of or experience, death's better. Also, having no control over your diet doesn't sound cool to me. Being chipped for tracking purposes? No, I detest that. Lastly, that part about gender neutrality really confused me, and I wouldn't want that to be a reality. I prefer the current world with its flaws, I think it's a thousand times better than the dystopian world in the book.

[aub lamar]

I agree, the depiction of a futuristic society in the book doesn't necessarily convey a sense of progress or improvement over our current world.