Powerless by Harry Turtledove - Film, Literature and the New World Order

In Harry Turtledove's Powerless, the citizens of the West Coast People's Democratic Republic know their place and they know what's expected of them. One day, however, one citizen decides not to hang the obligatory Workers of the World, Unite! propaganda poster in his window...and soon, the entire political order is crashing down around him. So, what does this work of alternative history tell us about our own political predicament, and what does it reveal about the dangers of political transitions? This month on Film, Literature and the New World Order, James discusses the Prometheus Award-nominated Powerless with author John C. A. Manley.