Circular Motion

DEBUT Foster’s debut novel about technology run rampant takes place in a future dominated by the Western circuit, a continuous loop orbiting the earth at 30,000 feet that allows travelers to travel almost anywhere in very little time. There’s just one problem—it becomes clear that it’s causing the rotation of the Earth to speed up, leading to multiple negative effects, including the gradual shortening of the day. The story is told through the point of view of Tanner, a young person from Keber Creek, Alaska, who becomes personal assistant to one of the spokespeople for the Circumglobal Westward Circuit Group, Victor Bickle. A parallel narrative is from the point of view of Winnie Pines, another young person from Keber Creek living in San Francisco. Through these contrasting perspectives readers witness the unfolding of the slow disaster of day contraction, which causes multiple problems and changes gravity. Humankind tries to mitigate the effects by enclosing the Earth in a protective shell, but it may not be enough.