Explores Gender, Reproduction, and Social Division in a Dystopian Future
Author John Steven Welch, whose debut novel The One Who's Gonna See You Through (2023) captured readers with its rich storytelling and complex characters, returns with an ambitious new work of speculative fiction, The Interchange. Set in a radically transformed world of 2095, The Interchange challenges contemporary ideas of gender, reproduction, and societal structure in a gripping, character-driven narrative that will resonate with fans of thought-provoking science fiction.
In the world of The Interchange, New America has redefined human society. In a groundbreaking shift, women have been liberated from childbirth, with natural pregnancy strictly prohibited. Society no longer classifies people by biological sex, but by a new dichotomy: Manx, who are logical and ambitious, and Femina, who are sensitive and nurturing. The novel centers on thirty-three-year-old Manx Aureole Agnor, a powerful leader at the helm of the nation's defense and intelligence command. From the outside, Aureole has it all—a thriving career, fame as a pugilist, a loving husband, and a nine-year old son. Yet her life takes a dramatic turn when she meets a young pregnant woman who has been arrested for defying the nation’s laws on childbirth.
In secret, Aureole yearns to experience pregnancy for herself, and with the help of the underground Red Dawn Movement, she begins plotting a daring rebellion against the nation’s draconian laws. As her plans unfold, Aureole’s relationship with her grandmother, the esteemed Femina Aurora Alvia Agnor, is tested. A matriarchal figure who firmly believes in the principles of New America, Aurora faces a harrowing dilemma: protect her country’s ideology, or risk everything to protect her family.
The Interchange explores deep philosophical questions about human identity, gender roles, the future of reproduction, and the cost of social conformity. As the authorities close in on Aureole, both women must confront their own beliefs and the painful fractures in their family’s legacy. Can humanity’s future truly be shaped by the "Old Ways" of reproduction, or is The Interchange—a new and controversial path—necessary for survival?
Drawing inspiration from current global issues like political division, climate change, gender parity, and maternal rights, The Interchange is a speculative exploration of how the societal dilemmas of the 21st century might evolve in the coming decades. Through its richly developed characters and immersive world-building, the novel asks: What happens when society’s vision of progress leaves its most basic human instincts behind?
John Steven Welch’s The Interchange is now available for purchase on Amazon and other major retailers. For more information about the author, his works, and his vision for the future, visit www.jswelchbooks.com.
