totalitarian-struggle

The chapter 'Preamble' introduces a speculative future dominated by a sinocentric Marxist world order where Lenin is revered and capitalism has been supplanted. It sketches a richly detailed setting featuring human-powered flight over New York, cultural imperialism centered in Beijing, and frontier outposts on Mars and the Arctic, all underscored by a tension between oppression and hope. The protagonist, Zhang, navigates this totalitarian landscape as an anti-hero seeking personal freedom and meaningful change.