Summary
Theme: The pulldogs, a group of people at the twilight of Western civilisation, undergo an anthropological transformation caused by the dissemination of nanites (nanorobots capable of assembling molecules to create matter). This technology changes the way they eat and gives rise to a culture which, while reminiscent of an ancient nomadic society, is creative and new. Liberation from the imperative of food, combined with the ability to 3D print objects and use cloud computing, makes it possible for the pulldogs to make a choice that seems impossible and anachronistic – a new life, but is it really an Arcadia?
Plot: Alan loses the use of his legs in a workplace accident. Nicolas has a few months left to live if he doesn’t lose weight soon. Silvia has to save the pulldogs community from being evicted from its squat in this near-future Rome: the Garbatella-Testaccio viaduct, which a lobby of building contractors wants to turn into a shopping mall. The solution – though temporary and uncertain – is to escape from the employment system, from the prison created by the need to eat, and from the urban lifestyle.
Praise for The Pulldogs: “I am impressed with the quality and freshness of ideas with regards to the nanites remaking our biology. Not sure I’ve seen much near future SF where these simple but profound alterations lead to a revolution in the social structure. This is exciting stuff and is first rate futurism.” James Patrick Kelly, Nebula, Locus and Hugo Award winner