Stupid Perfect World

In this future-set novella by bestselling author Scott Westerfeld, Kieran

Black lives in a "perfect" world. Disease and starvation have been eradicated,

sleep is unnecessary, and it takes no time at all to go from the Bahamas to

the moon. But now Kieran has to take Scarcity, a class about how people lived

in the bad old days. And as if sitting through an hour of Scarcity every day

wasn't depressing enough, it's final projects time. Each student must choose

some form of ancient hardship to experience for two whole weeks. Kieran

chooses having to sleep eight hours a night, which doesn't seem too annoying.

Maria Borsotti has never thought much of Kieran, but she decides to take pity

on him and help him out with his project. Soon, Kieran is sleeping and having

vivid dreams, while Maria, whose Scarcity project is to give up all teenage

hormone regulation, is experiencing emotions she never knew she had. As their

assignments draw them closer together, they begin to wonder if the olden days

weren't so bad. Maybe something has been missing from their perfect lives

after all?