Twenty Twenty

First published in 1995, Twenty Twenty eerily foretells the events of the year 2020. An ageing writer infected with a deadly virus and despairing of mankind’s continuing damage to the planet retreats to a derelict factory in the icy wastes of northern Canada. Meanwhile, at a remote research institute in the Californian desert, William Morrison, a virtual reality test pilot, and Julia O’Brien, a British anthropologist, are working on a VR simulation of the Amazonian Kogi tribe. William and Julia appear to have little in common, until they discover an uncanny connection that finds them being drawn towards a derelict factory in northern Canada...As the story escalates to its dramatic conclusion, Watts powerfully manipulates our perceptions of reality, whilst blurring the boundary between creator and created.