A friend sent us this sci-fi paperback called Doomsday Morning by C.L. Moore.
The somewhat paranoid text of the back cover describes a United States of the far-flung future: 2000 A.D., to be exact. It tells of COMUS (Communications U.S.), a giant media+government propaganda machine that tracks its citizens, alternately bullying and seducing them into submission. Many of us will feel this describes the current state of media, federal government, and technology rather accurately. Others may write it off as pure imagination.
The book itself leaves something to be desired. The first few chapters set up the world of COMUS and introduce the protagonist. The set-up and its parallels with today’s media corporations really drew us in. But by the time Moore gets into the actual plot, things become a lot less interesting. (Several reviewers on Amazon disagree with our disparaging opinion.)
We couldn’t bring ourselves to read the whole thing, but we did decorate our office with the cover. It’s taped up near the computer to remind us that COMUS is watching.
Collector’s Guide:
- From Doosmday Morning; Avon Books, Popular Library; 1987 reprint edition.
While a near-mint copy of this book might fetch $100 from a collector, you can pick up a copy for less than $5. You can also find the original 1957 novel.
