With Populism and conspiracy theories in the ascendant, and comedians and reality TV stars running nations, how can The Establishment fight back? A failing actor finds himself auditioning for the part of a lifetime. It's a Faustian deal, he (literally) cannot refuse. But is he the only one playing a role?
The inhabitants of Britain's most advanced "smart town" are forced to confront escalating aberrations in the technology that runs their daily lives. Washing machines in every home spin at once, phones and stereos belt out the same song at the same time. But what is the algorithm trying to tell them? And how can they atone, to be guided once again by its wisdom?
Microplastics can be found everywhere, from the snows of Mount Everest to the placenta of unborn babies. They pollute our seas and the very air we breathe, threatening the future of the planet. So when a plastic-eating enzyme is created that can munch through an Evian bottle in 2.93 seconds, it should be a giant step in the fight against climate change. Or at least it would be if the enzyme wasn't self-replicating. And if it didn't fall into the wrong hands and end up at the bottom of the sea.
A third-generation Londoner of Caribbean heritage is forced to take part in a virtual reality game in order to win the ultimate prize - British citizenship. Victory lies within her grasp - all she has to do is complete the levels. Simple, right? Unless there's more to the game than meets the eye.
What if the planet is, in reality, a single sentient organism, intent on ridding itself of the poisonous human parasites living on its surface? And what if a way is found to communicate with this 'intelligence'? And what if the person put in charge of negotiations is a refugee cleaner from Dafur?