Brandt Legg. The Last Librarian. Laughing Rain, 2015. E-book.

In science fiction, dystopian stories, and even in the Book of Revelation, a world-wide government is bad news. The Last Librarian is no different in that way. The year is 2098 and the Aylantik Coalition has ruled peacefully for over seventy years.

Before the great plague known as the Banoff that along with the concomitant wars has killed over half the people on earth, wars were inevitable. Since then, there have been nearly two generations without wars. The Aylantik Coalition has the appearance of democracy, but most people are mere pawns. There is even a new one-world language, though some people still learn English and other pre-Banoff languages.

Yes, Moore’s law is still in effect, so tiny computers can do even more. Libraries have become obsolete since everyone reads on the Field, the ubiquitous successor to the Internet. Runit Happerman is the head of the last library on earth located in Portland, formerly Oregon, now part of the Pacyfik Region. Word has come down that the Portland Library is to close and its entire book collection destroyed.

Of course, it is complicated. Already the online editions of many books and media have been bowdlerized to conform to the one world government. The Hunger Games is a nutrition text. Catching Fire is a fire safety manual. Other works have more subtle changes. Runit sees that to keep the original works, he must somehow preserve as many of the books as he can.

Runit and author Nelson Wright develop a desperate plan to save as many books as they can before the government agents come to shred and burn the books. The Last Librarian consciously does refer to Fahrenheit 451 a few times.

Social relations are a little like Brave New World because the powers that be use drugs to keep the populace in line. The Premier says, “The economy keeps the peace, and pharmaceuticals make the economy.” (23)

The AOI, Aylantik Office of Intelligence, spies on everyone. The Field plus miniature drones makes this easy. “Peace came at a price,” Runit believes. “Who wouldn’t give up all their privacy in exchange for peace?” (29) Uighurs? Christians? this reviewer asks rhetorically.

The Last Librarian focuses on Runit and the attempt to save 100,000 volumes from destruction. Someone with more money and power joins them with finances and equipment to get it done—maybe. But with the ubiquitous spying, who can be trusted?

This is a very entertaining story. It is also very quotable. Besides original quotations, there are many from books that Runit and Nelson are trying to save.

Since the Field provides instant access to information, there is little emphasis on secondary or higher education. In Runit’s somewhat old-fashioned mind “students were floundering.” (106) There are, however, Tree Runners, young people who like the outdoors enough to camp out and preserve an awareness of nature.

Could something like Aylantik actually happen? It is quite plausible. Read it and see for yourselves.