Published in the mid 1950s, and being something of a late flowering of the genre started by HG Wells (Shape of Things to Come)and Jack London (The Iron Heel)it describes how Eisenhower's America was already degenerating into a virtual dictatorship whilst still retaining the trappings of democracy, voting, television (he predicts interactive Tv by the way) consumerism of the most sophisticated kind. America is enjoying itself immensely, and although there may be nothing wrong with that in principle, in practice the whole world is paying for the party. Moreover, free thinking and free speech have dwindled to nothing, so the Fire Department is ordered to burn the countries entire library stock, but most peculiar of all is the nuclear war which is being conducted under the very noses of the people, a theme developed by the author in such a skilled way that neither they or the reader really becomes aware of it until the final catastrophe.
For those who are in genuine shock about the events of the last few days, here is a profound work which may make some aspects of the modern world a bit clearer.