The Wilderness

Varied in its climate and terrain, the Wilderness is the wild, nature state that the government has roped off to remain free of human pollution. It is the only remaining place in Cook’s dystopia, with the exception of the fabled Private Lands, whose air quality is non-toxic. However, the Wilderness has its fair share of dangers, including dust storms, thunderstorms, wild animals, poisonous flora, and unforgeable rivers.

It is a vast landscape, parts of which are uncharted on the maps the Community is given by the Rangers. The named places in the Wilderness that they encounter are: Middle Post, the Valley, the Caldera, the Poisoned River, and the Lower Post. The Wilderness state is dissolved at the end of the novel, being transformed into an inhabited area that will, presumably, be consumed by the City sprawl in the future.

The City

The City is where every...