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Make Room! Make Room!

by Harry Harrison

Cover artist: Richard Powers

Publisher: Berkley

Pub year: 1967

Cover price: 60¢

 

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Book detail for Make Room! Make Room!

Cover tagline

An SF novel about New York City Year: 1999 — population 35,000,000

Back cover text

The time: Monday, August 9, 1999
The place: New York City

As in any other August, it's hot in New York City, but even worse than ever because of all the people — the population now numbers thirty-five million.

It is a New York City where each person is rationed to one quart of water a day, the staple food is seaweed crackers, and thousands of people live in the streets.

Set against this background, which seems both unimaginable and yet prophetically possible, the bizarre death of a man brings together three people from different walks of life in a hauntingly unusual adventure story of the future....

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Interior text

Make Room! Make Room!

"Stick around and wait for me, we'll walk back together," Shirl's new friend said to her, as they stood in line waiting for their water rations. "It's getting late and plenty of punks would like to grab the water; they can always sell it."

"Yes, I'll wait for you, that's a good idea," Shirl said, suddenly feeling very alone.

"Cards," the patrolman said and Shirl handed him the three Welfare cards, hers, Andy's and Sol's. He held them to the light, then handed them back to her. "Six quarts," he called out to the valve man.

"That's not right," Shirl said.

"Reduced ration today, lady, keep moving, there's a lot of people waiting."