Conformity

In this novel, the civilization that currently exists is what remains of a civilization that was destroyed after an over reliance on oil left them devastated when the world's supply of oil was destroyed by a manmade virus. This civilization thinks it has learned from the mistakes of the Rusties, their ancestors, and they have outlawed the destruction of nature and the use of oil. This civilization has also decided that human behavior is largely to blame for what happened to the Rusties, therefore they have created an operation that not only makes everyone look the same so there is no envy or jealousy, but they also alter the human brain to prevent emotional outbursts that might lead to crime or even murder.

The people of this new civilization believe that people must be very similar in order to prevent the same mistakes of the past. While this...