Moxyland (2008)

Moxyland is a cyberpunk dystopian novel written by South African author, Lauren Beukes. The book was published in 2008.

Moxyland is narrated by four different characters, and each chapter focuses on one of the narrators and her or his own experience living in near futuristic Cape Town, South Africa and under an oppressive and pervasive government and media.

Overall, Moxyland was well received. It was nominated for Sunday Times Fiction Prize.

Characters

Lauren Beukes dives into the lives of four main characters to exemplify the wide spectrum of social hierarchies that reside in Moxyland. Through these four characters, Beukes illustrates a society where technology rules with an iron fist and in doing so shows the limitations of freedom. Beukes uses first person to highlight central themes throughout the novel.

Kendra

Kendra, an art school dropout reinvented as shiny brand ambassador, known as a sponsor baby. Ghost girl (7)” is an artistic photographer with hopes of exposing her work. Kendra voluntarily becomes sponsored by a corporation. She is injected with experimental nanobots that enhance her physical and mental abilities. They are even supposed to stop any illnesses so that she will never be sick again. A side effect of the nanotechnology is that it makes Kendra addicted to a high-tech soft drink called Ghost. A glowing green tattoo in the shape of the corporation's logo appeared after injection that showed she was branded. Beukes uses Kendra's story to reveal the overwhelming power that technology has over Moxyland inhabitants because essentially Kendra becomes a walking advertisement.

Lerato

Lerato is a young female corporation worker who seems to have figured out the way in Moxyland. Lerato, unlike the rest of the main characters, lives comfortably in the cushions of corporate Moxyland. Lerato's autonomic success in Moxyland can be described as a rags-to-riches story. She became an orphan after her parents died of AIDs. She attended a corporation school for AIDs orphans and then was hired to work at a corporation. Her skills allow her to climb the professional ladder, and she uses her computer skills and inside job to aid Tendeka's cause.

Tendeka

Tendeka is a passionate, idealistic revolutionary figure in Moxyland. He is against corporations and corruption. He and Ash, his lover, create and conduct projects to help provide food and shelter to street children in Cape Town. Tendeka even goes as far as pretending to be married to a young pregnant girl in order to make a statement. His drive to promote change shows that not all people (mostly outsiders) are happy with the system. Tendeka refuses to accept the superior power of technology in this society. However, he sometimes contradicts himself because he fears being disconnected from society, even though he believes the way society is structured is unjust. Tendeka, along with the help of skyward*, participates in underground revolutionary events attempting to end technological totalitarianism in Moxyland.

Toby

Toby plays a role in all the other characters’ lives, whether positively or negatively, due to his narcissistic tendencies. This makes him a vital part to the progression of the novel. He runs a 24-hour vlog stream called “Diary of Cunt” which streams what he is going through. At times, he creates or looks for chaos so that his life can appear interesting, and so that he can be recognized by the media. This is difficult to do in Moxyland because citizens are constantly being bombarded with advertisements, therefore it is difficult to stand out. Toby uses his BabyStrange media coat, which records anything that crosses his path, to get film for his vlog. Toby is self-centered and his course of actions only emphasizes his concern for own personal gain. He eventually becomes involved in “real-life” gaming.

Skyward*

Skyward* is an anonymous omnipotent power in Moxyland, an online game. Skyward* aids Tendeka by supplying technology and inside information. Skyward* is a close ally to Tendenka and a strong supporter of Tendeka's cause.

Setting

Moxyland is set in a futuristic Cape Town, South Africa. The city is plagued by various economic, ecological, medical, racial, and socio-economic issues, and the populace is divided into tiers based on one's class, health, race, and ownership of a cellphone and a SIM card. A SIM card in a cellphone is a device, which contains one's bank account, personal information, and records. Without either a cellphone or a SIM card, one is cut off or “disconnected” from food, water, shelter, or any form of communication and transportation. Using a combination of this kind of technology and the media, the government maintains control over the metropolis and people.

The advancement of technology in Moxyland focuses mainly on digital technology and biotechnology. As aforementioned, one's identity is contained in a SIM card, as well as an avatar. Online and virtual gaming are one of the hedonistic trends promoted by the media and used to distract the affluent and privileged upper class from the reality of AIDS, apartheid, and the social stratification created by technology and the ownership of a cellphone and a SIM card.

Nanotechnology and genetic engineering are two forms of biotechnology popular with the people and pets alike. The former, however, is utilized by the corporations, government, and police to serve much darker purposes. Corporations hire people as test subjects for cosmetic and medical nanotechnology, and then dispose of them as soon as the next trend comes in. For the government and police, nanotechnology is another form of control. Genetically engineered and injected with nanotechnology, dogs called Aitos are used as a weapon to enforce the law and inspire fear in the people.

In Moxyland, because of the corporate culture, government, and technology, the narrators are forced to either conform or live on the fringes and utilize the same technology against the system or solely for themselves.