The New Refuge

Abstract

The Last Refuge explores the life of a refugee, Cooper Garcia, left adrift after the death of his father amid the breakup of the United States. Forced to flee the newly-formed Republic of Texas, he makes his way to the Commonwealth of California in search of safety, finding the family he never knew. This novella examines modern American society, culture, and technology through a near-future lens by extrapolating current trends to consider their implications. Cooper wrestles with each of these forces as an outsider in a society he once belonged to in an attempt to gain some measure of control over his life.