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Qualityland  By  cover art

Qualityland

By: Marc-Uwe Kling
Narrated by: Patricia Rodriguez
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Publisher's summary

In the near future sci-fi world of Qualityland, algorithms help create an idyllic life for its citizens, but what if the perfect world wasn't built for you?

Welcome to QualityLand, the best country on Earth. Here, a universal ranking system determines the social advantages and career opportunities of every member of society. An automated matchmaking service knows the best partners for everyone and helps with the break up when your ideal match (frequently) changes. And the foolproof algorithms of the biggest, most successful company in the world, TheShop, know what you want before you do and conveniently deliver to your doorstep before you even order it.

In QualityCity, Peter Jobless is a machine scrapper who can't quite bring himself to destroy the imperfect machines sent his way, and has become the unwitting leader of a band of robotic misfits hidden in his home and workplace. One day, Peter receives a product from TheShop that he absolutely, positively knows he does not want, and which he decides, at great personal cost, to return. The only problem: doing so means proving the perfect algorithm of TheShop wrong, calling into question the very foundations of QualityLand itself.

Qualityland, Marc-Uwe Kling's first book to be translated into English, is a brilliantly clever, illuminating satire in the tradition of Kurt Vonnegut, Douglas Adams, and George Orwell that offers a visionary, frightening, and all-too funny glimpse at a near future we may be hurtling toward faster than it's at all comfortable to admit. So why delay any longer? TheShop already knows you're going to love this book. You may as well head to the cash register, crack the covers, and see why that is for yourself.

©2020 Marc-Uwe Kling (P)2020 Grand Central Publishing

Critic reviews

"Kling's sharp observations target the economy, the law, xenophobia, relationships, security, and government, sparing few and exposing with delightful brutality how close QualityLand is to reality." (Booklist)

"A hilarious romp through an absurd hypercapitalist dystopia...This is spot-on satire." (Publishers Weekly)

"How much you enjoy this is in direct proportion to how much trouble you think we're all in. Sleep tight." (Kirkus)

What listeners say about Qualityland

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Great story very small issue with reader

The story was hilarious. The reader was great minus the voice for two characters, Pink and the combat droid. Pink's voice was just grating and I am not fully sure what the combat droid said so I just assumed "kaboom". Other than that everything was awesome and well done.

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Funny and insightful

Get this in your brain. Funniest book I’ve heard in a long time. Laugh out loud belly laughs from beginning to end 😁😆

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My rate is to keep the algorithms happy.

I hope by like this book, I can make my profile the type that gets the attention of nerdy hot people.

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3 people found this helpful

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interesting take on Amazon, Google, and Facebook.

Starts out slow, kind of annoyingly so... but then, when it finally picks up about half way through, it gets really good.

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fantastic book and marvelous narrator

absolutely loved it. entertaining, witty, and thought provoking. this book is perfectly done and the narrator's voice is just a great fit for the story as well. money well spent.

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Love this book!

I also own the hardback version of this novel! Love love love! Overall, great story!

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Dystopian Comedy

I’ve never listen to a book and want to finish it because the voice gets boring and monotone for me. I hope the author releases more books telling dystopian - black mirror similarities stories. It was a joy 🎁

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Patricia Rodriguez's performance is amazing!

It's taken awhile for me to get into the story but her performance has kept me going.

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beautifully balanced

existential dread, epic sarcastic jokes, and a whimsical view of a doomscape. I cannot recommend sufficiently

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This book was a whole trip

And literally is the future prediction if Amazon owned the US.
I loved it and wished there was more.

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