The Fourth World (Novel)
Encyclopedia
The Fourth World is a science fiction
novel by Dennis Danvers
originally published in March, 2000 by HarperCollins Publishers. It takes place in 2013, primarily in the Mexican state of Chiapas
, and suggests that, in the future
, society has been divided by corporate greed into the upper and lower classes, with the middle class having been all but eliminated.
for which he records video via a virtual “interface” allowing viewers to actually experience his recordings on the World Wide Web
. He is sent to record a massacre of indigenous people being attacked at Chiapas
, Mexico without warning by landowners working for capitalist corporations. However, due to a business deal with Mexico’s government, NewsReal decides not to show the story, prompting Santee to take a sabbatical. While on sabbatical, he meets Margaret Mayfield, a rebel Zapatista with whom he is swayed to travel with and, eventually, fall in love with and decide to fight against the capitalist elite.
St. John and Mayfield decide to join a group called Intrepid Explorers, working for the corporations, in order to find a strong group of Zapatistas to join. They are met by an individual claiming to be Subcomandante Marcos, the first revolutionary to use cyberspace, who helped Santee and Margaret establish a plan: to give the rebel victims of the capitalists’ massacres interfaces, which will allow the entire world to experience their sufferings via the World Wide Web by actually taking on all sense perceptions of that person through a completely realistic virtual reality
simulator.
Margaret Mayfield went on her part of the mission with Webster Webfoot, who used to be one of the most highly rated internet stars but became a “webkicker” and now tries to avoid using an interface whenever possible. However, once there, she is told that Santee is dead and that the funeral will be held the very next day; she and Webster travel to Chiapas
, where the funeral is to be held, and discover that Santee is not actually dead, but that someone has faked his demise. Margaret abandons Webster, leaving him some cash for travel, and travels with a hotel owner named Zack Hayman who seems to have an inside connection with the conspirators.
In Chiapas, Margaret discovers that Santee left her a personalized interface, which cannot be activated until Santee is actually present. At the same time, Webster’s girlfriend on the internet, Starchilde or “Starr” for short, discovers through her work on a space station that there exists oil on Mars, which means that biological extraterrestrial life
must have existed on the planet at some point, as well as that Mexican rebels are being shipped to Mars in order to harvest the oil. Back on Earth, Zack, the hotel manager whom Margaret is with, discovered that the rebels are being sent to Mars in part so that the rich landowners can take their land without resistance. Santee and Margaret believed that they were setting up the victims with interfaces so that they would be able to show their sufferings to others outside of Mexico, but in fact the interfaces were going to make them think that they were receiving messages from Santee, while they were actually going to be tricked to going to Mars as slave labor.
On the ship near Mars
, Starr discovers that the slaves are to be sent to Mars in order to live there for a time and scout out any biological hazards or chemical hazards. Starr meets an intelligent AI, called Alice Irene, who serves as a literal deus ex machine. Starr convinces Alice Irene to join the cause of the rebels by having her examine the entire Internet and come to her own conclusions about the corruption of the current capitalist regime. Starr was given control of the ship, and the Zapatistas took control with the assistance of Alice Irene. The revolutionaries were given the option to stay on Earth or go to Mars, but as a form of utopian paradise rather than as slave labor. Santee St. John and Margaret Mayfield chose to stay on earth, while the remaining main characters chose life on Mars.
, attacks on corporate greed, and explicitly posing the question of how one could be the enemy if one is poor, this novel clearly argues in favor for an economically leftist government that promotes human and civil rights above the welfare of economic entities. The novel additionally argues in favor for localized governments as opposed to globalization, and contends that indigenous people should be free from outside influence and allowed to make their own decisions.
Many of the names, places, and events in the book closely echo the actual political scenario involving the Zapatista Army of National Liberation, which is also based in Chiapas and also has Subcomandante Marcos
as their leader. In Marcos’ writings, he called the Cold War
the “Third World War”, and has claimed that neoliberalism and globalization constitute the “Fourth World War”, which presumably served as the title for Danvers’ book. Throughout the book, corporations are consistently portrayed as evil
, as well as all land and property owners; the one land owner in the book who finds favor with Alice Irene, Zack Hayman, gave up the deed to his land to his wife in order that he might join the revolutionary movement.
The anarcho-socialist Zapatista revolutionaries in the book find it acceptable to use the tools of the capitalists against them, such as by riding in Coca-Cola trucks for transportation; however, they are content to steal
drinks when they desire, thus harming the corporation. The capitalists’ ultimate tool, Alice Irene, the artificially intelligent being created for the supervision of the Martian population program, was also the deus ex machine that allowed Starrchilde to take control of the ship. Thus, the novel implies that it is acceptable to use the capitalists’ own tools against them for the sake of their own political end.
The novel features a reference to 2001: A Space Odyssey
in that Starr’s full name is Starchilde, an allusion to the new creature at the end of the film that is presumably the next stage of humanity’s evolution; this represents the political uprising in the novel as being a rebirth of humanity and the next stage in human evolution, entirely new creatures existing outside of capitalist concerns. The novel also contains references to Webster’s mother being addicted to living via interface in the world of the Dragons of Pern
, where life itself is heavily genetically modified to defend human colonists. This might be understood as a jab against colonialism, as it is willing to modify the nature of life, or as an attack against escapism, since the dragons serve as a mere diversion from the real world. The novel additionally alludes to The Postman
with Kevin Costner, and notes the irony in that the viewers were living in the time of an apocalypse, even while the watching the movie, as the political implications of widespread capitalism had corrupted society to its core.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
novel by Dennis Danvers
Dennis Danvers
Dennis Danvers is an American author of science fiction novels. He currently lives in Richmond, Virginia. He is the president of the Byrd Park Civic League.-Novels:...
originally published in March, 2000 by HarperCollins Publishers. It takes place in 2013, primarily in the Mexican state of Chiapas
Chiapas
Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las...
, and suggests that, in the future
Future
The future is the indefinite time period after the present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the nature of the reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently exists and will exist is temporary and will come...
, society has been divided by corporate greed into the upper and lower classes, with the middle class having been all but eliminated.
Plot summary
Santee St. John is a reporter for NewsReal, a shock siteShock site
A shock site is a website that is intended to be offensive, disgusting and/or disturbing to its viewers, containing materials of high shock value which is also considered distasteful and crude, and is generally of a pornographic, scatological, extremely violent, insulting, painful, profane, or...
for which he records video via a virtual “interface” allowing viewers to actually experience his recordings on the World Wide Web
World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
. He is sent to record a massacre of indigenous people being attacked at Chiapas
Chiapas
Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las...
, Mexico without warning by landowners working for capitalist corporations. However, due to a business deal with Mexico’s government, NewsReal decides not to show the story, prompting Santee to take a sabbatical. While on sabbatical, he meets Margaret Mayfield, a rebel Zapatista with whom he is swayed to travel with and, eventually, fall in love with and decide to fight against the capitalist elite.
St. John and Mayfield decide to join a group called Intrepid Explorers, working for the corporations, in order to find a strong group of Zapatistas to join. They are met by an individual claiming to be Subcomandante Marcos, the first revolutionary to use cyberspace, who helped Santee and Margaret establish a plan: to give the rebel victims of the capitalists’ massacres interfaces, which will allow the entire world to experience their sufferings via the World Wide Web by actually taking on all sense perceptions of that person through a completely realistic virtual reality
Virtual reality
Virtual reality , also known as virtuality, is a term that applies to computer-simulated environments that can simulate physical presence in places in the real world, as well as in imaginary worlds...
simulator.
Margaret Mayfield went on her part of the mission with Webster Webfoot, who used to be one of the most highly rated internet stars but became a “webkicker” and now tries to avoid using an interface whenever possible. However, once there, she is told that Santee is dead and that the funeral will be held the very next day; she and Webster travel to Chiapas
Chiapas
Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las...
, where the funeral is to be held, and discover that Santee is not actually dead, but that someone has faked his demise. Margaret abandons Webster, leaving him some cash for travel, and travels with a hotel owner named Zack Hayman who seems to have an inside connection with the conspirators.
In Chiapas, Margaret discovers that Santee left her a personalized interface, which cannot be activated until Santee is actually present. At the same time, Webster’s girlfriend on the internet, Starchilde or “Starr” for short, discovers through her work on a space station that there exists oil on Mars, which means that biological extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
must have existed on the planet at some point, as well as that Mexican rebels are being shipped to Mars in order to harvest the oil. Back on Earth, Zack, the hotel manager whom Margaret is with, discovered that the rebels are being sent to Mars in part so that the rich landowners can take their land without resistance. Santee and Margaret believed that they were setting up the victims with interfaces so that they would be able to show their sufferings to others outside of Mexico, but in fact the interfaces were going to make them think that they were receiving messages from Santee, while they were actually going to be tricked to going to Mars as slave labor.
On the ship near Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
, Starr discovers that the slaves are to be sent to Mars in order to live there for a time and scout out any biological hazards or chemical hazards. Starr meets an intelligent AI, called Alice Irene, who serves as a literal deus ex machine. Starr convinces Alice Irene to join the cause of the rebels by having her examine the entire Internet and come to her own conclusions about the corruption of the current capitalist regime. Starr was given control of the ship, and the Zapatistas took control with the assistance of Alice Irene. The revolutionaries were given the option to stay on Earth or go to Mars, but as a form of utopian paradise rather than as slave labor. Santee St. John and Margaret Mayfield chose to stay on earth, while the remaining main characters chose life on Mars.
Political Significance
Featuring constant positive references to the ZapatistasZapatista Army of National Liberation
The Zapatista Army of National Liberation is a revolutionary leftist group based in Chiapas, the southernmost state of Mexico....
, attacks on corporate greed, and explicitly posing the question of how one could be the enemy if one is poor, this novel clearly argues in favor for an economically leftist government that promotes human and civil rights above the welfare of economic entities. The novel additionally argues in favor for localized governments as opposed to globalization, and contends that indigenous people should be free from outside influence and allowed to make their own decisions.
Many of the names, places, and events in the book closely echo the actual political scenario involving the Zapatista Army of National Liberation, which is also based in Chiapas and also has Subcomandante Marcos
Subcomandante Marcos
Subcomandante Marcos is the spokesperson for the Zapatista Army of National Liberation , a Mexican rebel movement. In January 1994, he led an army of Mayan farmers into the eastern parts of the Mexican state of Chiapas protesting against the Mexican government's treatment of indigenous...
as their leader. In Marcos’ writings, he called the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
the “Third World War”, and has claimed that neoliberalism and globalization constitute the “Fourth World War”, which presumably served as the title for Danvers’ book. Throughout the book, corporations are consistently portrayed as evil
Evil
Evil is the violation of, or intent to violate, some moral code. Evil is usually seen as the dualistic opposite of good. Definitions of evil vary along with analysis of its root motive causes, however general actions commonly considered evil include: conscious and deliberate wrongdoing,...
, as well as all land and property owners; the one land owner in the book who finds favor with Alice Irene, Zack Hayman, gave up the deed to his land to his wife in order that he might join the revolutionary movement.
The anarcho-socialist Zapatista revolutionaries in the book find it acceptable to use the tools of the capitalists against them, such as by riding in Coca-Cola trucks for transportation; however, they are content to steal
Steal
Steal may refer to:* Theft, the illegal taking of another person's property without that person's freely-given consent* The gaining of a stolen base in baseball...
drinks when they desire, thus harming the corporation. The capitalists’ ultimate tool, Alice Irene, the artificially intelligent being created for the supervision of the Martian population program, was also the deus ex machine that allowed Starrchilde to take control of the ship. Thus, the novel implies that it is acceptable to use the capitalists’ own tools against them for the sake of their own political end.
The novel features a reference to 2001: A Space Odyssey
2001: A Space Odyssey (film)
2001: A Space Odyssey is a 1968 epic science fiction film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, and co-written by Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke, partially inspired by Clarke's short story The Sentinel...
in that Starr’s full name is Starchilde, an allusion to the new creature at the end of the film that is presumably the next stage of humanity’s evolution; this represents the political uprising in the novel as being a rebirth of humanity and the next stage in human evolution, entirely new creatures existing outside of capitalist concerns. The novel also contains references to Webster’s mother being addicted to living via interface in the world of the Dragons of Pern
Dragons (Pern)
The Dragons of Pern are a fictional race created by Anne McCaffrey as an integral part of the science fiction world depicted in her Dragonriders of Pern novels....
, where life itself is heavily genetically modified to defend human colonists. This might be understood as a jab against colonialism, as it is willing to modify the nature of life, or as an attack against escapism, since the dragons serve as a mere diversion from the real world. The novel additionally alludes to The Postman
The Postman (film)
The Postman is an American post-apocalyptic epic film based on the 1985 novel of the same name by David Brin. It was filmed in northeastern Washington , Fidalgo Island, Washington, central Oregon and Tucson, Arizona, and was directed by Kevin Costner, who also stars in the film...
with Kevin Costner, and notes the irony in that the viewers were living in the time of an apocalypse, even while the watching the movie, as the political implications of widespread capitalism had corrupted society to its core.