Proxy (novel)

Setting

The book is set in a distant post-cataclysmic future where civilization has evolved its technology so rapidly through unrestricted capitalism to bring about a world where nearly every conceivable service can be purchased. Society has developed into a rigid class system where the Upper City lives in the height of luxury while the Lower City lives in utter poverty. As a result of the Lower City being infinitely indebted to the Upper City super corporations, the middle class has been eliminated altogether. Because of this debt, Upper City citizens can purchase the debts of someone from the Lower City. The wealthy patron will pay for the poorer person's essential needs and in return they serve as proxies to be punished whenever the rich patron either breaks the law, or needs their body for health purposes - e.g. donate blood or organs. However this system is seen as unfair, as the Lower City citizens assume this debt at birth and have no other feasible way to repay the debt. In addition any contact between the proxies and the patrons is outlawed. This injustice has brought about the existence of "The Rebooters", a rebel organization set on destroying this system by introducing "Jubilation", an idea that would erase debts, currency credits, and all digital data and records.

Full summary

Protagonist Sydney "Syd" Carton is a 16-year-old boy that has been labeled as "Chapter 11" due to being homosexual. He serves as proxy for the rebellious Knox, whose behavior has resulted in repeated punishment throughout Syd's life. When Knox's actions result in the death of Marie Alvarez, an Upper City citizen, Syd is charged with vehicular manslaughter and is sentenced to a work prison. Knox also receives a blood transfusion from Sydney due to his injuries; accidentally transporting a mysterious "virus." Through his education with Mr. Baram, Syd manages to flee his prison and escapes to the Lower City where he tries to get his best friend Egan to purchase a new identity through an Upper City contact. When this contact is revealed to be Knox, Syd decides to kidnap Knox as leverage for escape.

The two go to Knox's house, where they eavesdrop and overhear shocking news from his father. Not only is Marie still alive, but her entire death was set up to give Knox a wake-up call. They also want Syd dead because his blood contains a virus that is capable of threatening the entire digital infrastructure of the Upper city wealth. The pair are almost caught by the Guardians but are rescued at the last moment by Marie, who is unhappy with the socioeconomic system and wants to change things by bringing Sydney to the Rebooters. Now a trio, they further discover that Knox's father wants to neutralize Baram because of his affiliation with the Rebooters. They manage to successfully warn Baram, who tells Syd that his virus would be successful in bringing about Jubilee.

Unfortunately the group finds themselves surrounded by the Guardians, who threaten to kill Marie's proxy Beatrice if they do not surrender. Marie refuses and Beatrice is brutally murdered. Syd, Knox, and Marie escape via the sewers and emerge in an Upper City zoo. Just when it looks like they might be captured, the zoo animals are set free to cause a distraction. Egan also suddenly appears and murders an Upper City woman with a blaster, explaining that he is part of the Rebooters' mercenary crew and is here to bring him to their camp. The group sets out to reach the camp, which is located in a place called Old Detroit. On the way they discover to their horror that the mercenary group is actually not part of the Rebooters and was actually hired by Knox's father to kill Sydney and retrieve Marie and Knox. Egan is killed after the mercenaries double-cross him and Syd only survives because Marie manages to intervene. Syd then kills the mercenary leader and the group rides the mercenaries' horses out into the desert to resume their quest.

Once in the wilderness they encounter Gordis, who saves them from the remaining mercenaries and then reveals that he is an agent of the Rebooters. With his help they manage to successfully reach Old Detroit, where they reunite with Baram, who reveals that the only way to enact Jubilee is to remove the virus from Syd and that doing so will kill him. Distraught, Syd and Knox try to flee the city but are met with a large force of Guardians storming Old Detroit in order to kill Syd and the Rebooters. Faced with this, Syd decides that he is willing to sacrifice himself and returns to upload the virus. Realizing that Syd's blood transfusion transmitted the virus to his body as well, Knox sacrifices himself in Syd's place. The novel ends with the patron paying back the proxy with his life while simultaneously enacting 'Jubilee' onto the world.

Themes

Alex London talks about his novel's thematic attention in an interview - Proxy applies and integrates observations on society regarding debt, corporations, capitalism, progress in technology, social class, and human morality.

Protagonist group

Other characters

Reception

Critical reception for Proxy has been positive and the book has received praise from the Deseret News and Lambda Literary. Kirkus Reviews praised the work, which they felt was "a smart, stylish science-fiction thriller that deftly weaves big issues like guilt, accidents of birth, redemption and commerce into a page-turning read." The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books also gave a favorable review, praising the book for its "poignant story of friendship and self-sacrifice" and for featuring a "gay action hero whose sexuality is only one facet of his character".