2033: Future of Misbehavior

2033: The Future of Misbehavior is the love child of edgy culture site Nerve.com and Swedish Vodka brand Svedka. Yes, that's right: in 2003, not only do you get interplanetary dating, Madame President, and socialized plastic surgery, but an entire short story collection can be branded by an alcohol company. As the opening pages state, this project was "made possible by the influence of Svedka, the Number One vodka of 2033." The Malibu Svedka book launch party was a paparazzo's dream, with full coverage in the society pages. The sponsorship campaign around the book is scheduled to last a full year, but Svedka has given full editorial control to Nerve.com and insists that no product placement or content were dictated by the partnership. It's only natural that the product sponsor of choice for writers is an alcohol company, right? Better that than a pencil company or a dictionary publisher. According to this cadre of vodka-addled writers, the future is a caricature of our current vapid, celebrity-obsessed culture. Deities are ordained by People Magazine, fellowships based on the lives of Nichole Richie, Paris Hilton, and Lindsay Lohan are awarded, and celebrities endorse the swinging lifestyle. The short story collection has its hits and misses, and plenty of sarcastic wit, but it feels like an overdone parody. This is a book to buy for its slick sponsorship. You'll get to read the latest from modern literary talents, you'll probably laugh out loud a few times, and you'll be able to tell future generations that you participated in a literary branding experiment of 2007.