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MARQUETTE -- What can an imagined future tell us about the present? According to fans of dystopia, a lot.
Longtime fan of the genre and acclaimed author Jeff VandeZande presented "A Brief History of Dystopian Literature" at the Peter White Public Library last week.
The hour-long talk began with a history of dystopian literature and ended with a reading from VandeZande's dystopian novel, "Rules of Order."
The event was free and open to the public and a video version is to be published on the PWPL YouTube channel.
VandeZande graduated from Northern Michigan University in 1993 and now teaches English at Delta College near Bay City.
He has published five novels and a total of 12 books including his latest release and first dystopian novel, "Rules of Order."
The story follows Harvey Crowe, a communist activist, living in a run-down high-rise building in a post-apocalyptic world.
The story progresses as Crowe and the tenants struggle to work together with the Anti-Collapse Trust to maintain one of the city's last habitable spaces.
VandeZande said that he has always gravitated toward reading dystopian literature because of its blunt messaging and thematic clarity.
"I think it's trying to tell us about us and where we could be headed. And trying to put out a warning," he said.
The evening was a good opportunity to learn more about the expansive dystopian genre and hear from an acclaimed local author.
The next author reading at the library is scheduled for Monday and will feature Anne-Marie Oomen, a 2023 winner of the Michigan Notable Book Award.
Caroline Ray can be reached at 906-228-23500, extension 543.