Feed

Feed

Anderson, M. (2002). Feed. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.

Feed is the futuristic story of Titus, a typical seventeen- year -old boy, who has gone on a vacation to the moon. Titus, his friends and his girlfriend (Violet) becomes the victim of a cyberattack and this damages their “feed”. Violet’s feed is severely damaged due to the fact that she did not get her feed until she was seven. Violet fights the feed and encourages Titus to do so also. She is a more independent spirit, where Titus follows the crowd and never questions what is happening, like the lesions that are appearing on so many people. Everyone is connected to the “feed”, which is a steady stream of consumer information, telling everyone the latest styles, fashions and trends. Consumerism is so strong, that no one notices the destruction of the planet. Everyone is connected through the feed, but it only reinforces how everyone strives to be the same, not different. Violet’s feed is slowly killing her and Titus doesn’t know how to deal with watching her lose control of her body and her mind.

Feed by M. T. Anderson is a Cyberpunk Science Fiction novel with dystopian elements. The story is told from Titus’s point of view reflecting how little he really knows about the world except what is fed to him by his implant. The “feed” allows corporations to individualize each information stream and constantly bombards everyone with advertisements and propaganda. Everyone speaks in a slang vocabulary and has no knowledge of the world beyond the feed, reflecting the loss of individual thought. School has become unnecessary (but still mandatory) due to the constant availability of information. There is a strong underlying message that consumerism and corporations will destroy people and the planet.

Book Recommendations:

Candor by Pam Bachorz because this novel also deals with the loss of identity.

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld because this Dystopian novel deals with government controlled mental programming.

Awards:

Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Fiction (2003)

National Book Award, Finalist (2002)