Book description
Utopia 3 is a movement spreading through the world, a project designed
to mold everyone into people devoted to brotherhood and peace. A large
portion of Europe is set aside for members of the pilot program. Each
member is permitted to travel anywhere within the project, do anything,
take anything without limit. Each person undergoes an indoctrination
designed to prevent destructive or harmful acts. This is the meaning and
hope of Utopia 3. This story focuses on three people: Eileen Brant, a
weary young woman escaping the dead-end life she was leading; Justin
Benarcek, a man who tries either too hard or not at all; and Bo
Staefler, who, accompanied by a silent Arab boy, accidentally joins
Utopia 3 by standing too near the genuine members at the wrong moment.
These three people are caught up in a growing scheme, a deadly and evil
plan that threatens to destroy the project and, ultimately, the entire
world. A conflict greater than any war in history is about to be
unleashed and only Brant, Benarcek and Staefler can hope to prevent it.
George Alec Effinger was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1947. He attended
Yale University, where an organic chemistry course disabused him of the
notion of becoming a doctor. He had the opportunity to meet many of his
SF idols thanks to his first wife, who was Damon Knight and Kate
Wilhelm's babysitter. With their encouragement, he began writing science
fiction in 1970. He published at least 20 novels and 6 collections of
short fiction including WHEN GRAVITY FAILS and THE EXILE KISS. As well,
he also wrote and published two crime novels, FELICIA and SHADOW MONEY.
With his Budayeen novels, Effinger helped to found the Cyberpunk genre.
He was a Hugo and Nebula award winner and a favorite amongst fellow SF
writers.
