Technology was meant to liberate mankind. Instead, it has shackled society in chains of surveillance, addiction, and violence. In John Brunner’s The Jagged Orbit, a Nebula Award finalist, the future is collapsing under the weight of corruption, drug abuse, and the ruthless control of those deemed “insane.”
From high-level government conspiracies to the crumbling streets below, Brunner’s near-future world is one of chaos, cruelty, and absurdity so sharp it cuts, so real it feels inevitable. Told with his signature mix of biting satire, chilling plausibility, and relentless imagination, this novel confronts the terrifying consequences of unchecked power.
Written at the height of Brunner’s vision, The Jagged Orbit is as disturbing today as when it was first published. The question is whether we can avoid living it.
