Query Letter

Dear Judges:

Can two star-crossed lovers survive and find happiness in the totalitarian oligarchy of Big Sister?

On April 1, 2084, a young woman named April 7439 decided to start a (forbidden) relationship with an ordinary-looking co-worker. The rest is history; future history.
 
Ian and April live in a harsh, bleak society, which is coping with extreme overpopulation, ecological disaster, the aftermath of nuclear war, and the beginning of alien contact. After the one-child per couple policy, marriage was outlawed---though there was little interest in it anyway.  In a society where greed predominates and everyone is only looking out for themselves, compassion and friendship have gone by the wayside.  Only perverts and ‘sex criminals’ love and care about anyone else.

Ian and April live in New China, and work for the Temple of Truth (the state-controlled media), he as a film editor; she as a receptionist. She tempts him to begin an affair, and he must learn to trust her, despite his misgivings that she might be a government spy.  He is invited to open rebellion against the government by the rich and powerful Mr. Shi.
Ian’s biggest dilemma occurs when he and April discover the (now deserted) Forbidden City, the luxurious home of ancient emperors for more than 200 years. The government appears to topple with the assassination of Big Sister, the leader. Should Ian and April flee the country in the hope of an unknown better place, stay in the midst of a fantasy past, or---as the deranged hermit urges---go back to tell the world the knowledge of the past and the enlightenment they have found? 

Although it may be uncommon to refer to ones’ inspiration in a query letter, I feel the title and theme, and possible positive outcome justify the inevitable comparison to George Orwell’s 1984 and other “dystopias or negative futures,” which is an accepted sub-genre of science fiction.  No less a luminary than Isaac Asimov titled a collection of stories “2084.” I do not put myself in the same class as the great writers, yet feel that in this day and time, it can be an eye-catching marketing tool.

Would you like to help shape the future of humankind? The oft repeated phrase “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it” seems to fit in here. I extrapolate trends to make people think about what they want the future to be like.

Sincerely, amer