Sometimes, dystopian fiction feels so close to our reality, or the direction humanity’s future is headed, that it profoundly scares me. The anxiety overwhelms and I want to stop reading, but I can’t. This is the feeling I think is common among many readers of Portland-based author Leni Zumas’ new novel Red Clocks, released last month. Set in our world during a time that feels like “now,” Red Clocks imagines an America in which abortion and in-vitro fertilization are both illegal. Adoptions are federally overseen, and only legal for two-parent heterosexual households. Canada has even put up a “Pink Wall” to stop women suspected of fleeing the country for abortion services. Red Clocks’ premise — a Handmaid’s Tale for the 21st century — is not only ultra relevant; Zumas’ novel is riveting in its prose and relatable characters. To celebrate the book’s recent launch, Zumas stops by Auntie’s for a reading and conversation with author (and former Portland resident) Alexis Smith.
Thu, Feb. 15 at 7 pm • Free • Auntie’s Bookstore • 402 W. Main • auntiesbooks.com • 838-0206