The Fixed Period

THE FIXED PERIOD (1882) by Anthony Trollope is an unusual early science fiction novel, originally published anonymously. It is part utopia, part dystopia, part dark satire, with overtones of modern "steampunk" and quaint technological devices. In this amazing visionary work by the British Victorian master of social mores and relationships, Britannula is an imaginary "futuristic" island country and a one-time British colony near New Zealand, and the story is narrated by the President. In Britannula, a law has been passed decreeing that all citizens who have reached the age of 67 must be removed to "The College" to undergo euthanasia, for the good of society. What happens when the first and oldest man reaches the end of his "Fixed Period" and must prepare for his "humane" death is a fascinating study of moral and social impossibility.