Tor.com, June 1, 2022

“India World” by Amit Gupta

Reviewed by Seraph

Tor.com posted only one original story in the month of June.

Rohit Ji finds himself with a choice: the opportunity of a lifetime, but only if he leaves home for a job in a distant land and a better future. It’s a familiar story, with a twist. The time frame is near future, at least post-2028, and the world looks very different. Rohit moves from his home in America, which has declined into a third world country, and heads to India for the hope of a better job and citizenship. The author imagines a near-future in which it is India that sits atop the world order, and the other world powers like America and China have severely diminished. A cursory read feels like another alternative history story serving as a vehicle to preach about how awful America is. If read more deeply, there is more going on beneath that seemingly shallow surface: a message about improving the lives of not just those dearest to you but everyone, of virtue in the face of desperation and divisiveness.