Dystopian Futurist

Douglas Coupland’s novel Player One – What Is to Become of Us? is a piece of fiction that was originally intended as Coupland’s contribution to the Massey Lectures, which is a prestigious annual event in Canada where a scholar gives a weeklong series of lectures on a political, cultural or philosophical topic. The novel was also nominated for a Giller Prize which is a literary award given to a Canadian author. Player One is the first of the Massey Lectures to be nominated for this award.

Douglas Coupland is an accomplished Canadian author. He is internationally recognized and has published thirteen novels, seven non-fiction books, a collection of short stories and screenplays for television and film. Coupland is considered a leader in contemporary literature and has undeniably become the voice of a generation. He has impacted culture by defining social trends, coining terms, mirroring reality, and predicting the future. He can be defined as a dystopian futurist who provides a parable of what’s to come. He does so without preaching or using fear tactics, he simply offers a believable interpretation of unbelievable yet conceivable situations. Common themes in his works include religion, technology, sexuality, and pop culture. His characters are commonly flawed and eccentric making them relatable and accessible for readers. He is extremely ahead of his time and could be called a modern day prophet.

The novel is takes place over the span of five hours. It follows four characters that have randomly assembled in a cocktail bar in a Toronto airport hotel. The characters are all very different and utterly flawed. There’s Rick, a recovering alcoholic bartender, Karen, a middle-aged divorcee meeting a man she met online, Luke a thieving pastor, and Rachel a beautiful 17-year-old head-case. The four characters interact with each other in the bar when a news report on the television states that the price of oil has sky rocketed. Chaos ensues and due to massive explosions, chemical clouds, and a sniper the characters barricade themselves inside the bar. As this happens a disembodied voice named Player One recounts events and sets up the next hour like an omniscient narrator. Essentially the world ends but for these characters life goes on, one way or the other. Finally Coupland provides a glossary of terms used in the novel and prospective words that would be applicable in the post apocalyptic future.

The overall tone of the book is cautionary and insightful. While the world is crumbling around the characters they engage in deep thought and conversation with each other. They never come off preachy, but they do address social problems and provide advice for the reader about prevention and survival. Throughout the novel hope is lost and gained for the characters, but in the end h

There are many themes at work in this novel and the most prevalent is the human identity. The characters each have personality flaws and issues with their identity. Even the setting reflects this theme. Airport hotel cocktail bars are notorious as a setting for people who want to escape their reality. The people you encounter in a bar like this you will likely never see again, which is why it is a perfect place for singles looking to mingle. Rachel encompasses this theme the most out of all the characters. She is continually asked if she is human, she is unable to remember people’s faces and fails to comprehend humor and other personality traits. She thus speaks predominately through an avatar she has created on Second Life known as Player One. When she is Player One she has an identity, which is ironic because only when she is a machine is she truly human. Other themes pertain specifically to individual characters including Karen’s battle with age and gender, Rick’s failure and addiction, and Luke’s spiritual and moral crisis.

The genre of the novel would be classified under modern realist fiction. Coupland speaks about current social concerns and trends while remaining honest to the way of the world. It is obvious that this is a work of fiction because Coupland’s prophecies have yet to transpire.

The novel is written and presented in a very captivating, entertaining and incredibly unique fashion. It is broken down in hours, five characters, five hours. Each character has a chance to offer their perspective during the ordeal. This way you are able to see what each character was thinking during specific events. An interesting and helpful technique is present with the addition of the character Player One. The avatar being controlled by Rachel sums up the end of each hour as a narrator of the story giving the reader a clear and concise description of what happened, what’s happening, and what will happen.

This novel and the rest of Couplands material for that matter are intended for a specific audience. This audience is educated men and women who would be classified as part of Generation X. This term refers to people who were born after the baby boomers in the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s. They are open minded yet skeptical of the future. They take pride in acknowledging failures and want to learn from past mistakes.

Coupland definitely has great expectations for his readers. It is absolutely possible that one may read this book and fail to catch all the applicable metaphors and themes yet still enjoy the book based on content and presentation. Others who are deeper introspective thinkers will take away something more than entertainment but enlightenment.

I would recommend this novel to anyone classified in Generation X and even Generation Y. It is an accurate account of life and survival, providing caution and addressing social concerns without becoming abrasive or preachy. As opposed to other books where you enter the world the author has created, in this case the characters enter your world and open your eyes.