This is a nice collection of stories short and long which emphasize the dystopias which contemporary America seems to be hurtling toward. Although the author states in her front matter that the stories antedate the current political scene, they certainly will resonate with readers who have misgivings about the Trump administration. Dissidents find themselves imprisoned or parachuted onto a desert island, educators swim upstream in a world where universities exist only as football teams, all learning is done online, or, on the lighter side, find themselves in a world where physical reality conforms to howlingly funny incorrect answers which students come up with to answer test questions. The stories are remarkable, and allow one to enter alternative realities which are enthralling, if fraught with worry.

A collection of dystopian short stories picturing a future America that might be, depending on how present America moves. The title story refers to a barrier erected between North America and the rest of the world to protect the world against - what? No one is certain when the barrier is breached 1000 years in the future, and a land of abundant resources is discovered, resources badly needed in a world of scarcity. What could be so terrible in this beautiful land that it was hidden away forever? This, and other stories, explore possibilities both grim and silly in the future of our species.