Invisible Things

by Mat Johnson

A bureaucratic scientist whose greatest distinction was the level of shamelessness with which he endorsed dodgy environmental-impact assessments for energy oligarchs.

An answer that wasn’t dogma or a declaration of faith, but a bureaucratic shrug thrown to shut you up.

At this juncture, Nalini reached a stage where she was both sure she would be rescued and certain she was stuck for the rest of her life. She had become Schrödinger’s Cat.

Bob did what he used to do on the ship: dominated. He dominated with his patented deniable sadism in front of the TV audience of Founders Party officials to show them that he could dominate their enemies for them as well. He used his oratorical flourish to send a message to everyone on the planet that you should either agree with him or endure the social discomfort of contradicting him.