2 0 2 7 , ▁a ▁d yst op ian ▁extension ▁of ▁today ' s ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁and ▁car - orient ed ▁architecture , ▁mob ility ▁and ▁life - style : ▁" an ▁end less ▁spraw l ▁of ▁cond os , ▁fre ew ays ▁and ▁m alls ." ▁ ▁The ▁book ▁describes ▁the ▁life ▁of ▁ 2 7 - year - old ▁Jim ▁Mc Ph erson , ▁who ▁finds ▁himself ▁caught ▁up ▁in ▁literary ▁and ▁academic ▁interests , ▁anti - we ap ons - indust ry ▁terror ism , ▁dru gs , ▁parties ▁and ▁cas ual ▁sex . ▁ ▁The ▁Gold ▁Coast ▁was ▁nominated ▁for ▁the ▁Campbell , ▁L ocus , ▁and ▁British ▁Science ▁F iction ▁award ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 9 . ▁ ▁Pacific ▁Edge ▁Pacific ▁Edge ▁( 1 9 9 0 ) ▁can ▁be ▁compared ▁to ▁Ernest ▁C allen bach ' s ▁E cot op ia , ▁and ▁also ▁to ▁Urs ula ▁K . ▁Le ▁Gu in ' s ▁The ▁Dis poss essed . ▁This ▁book ' s ▁Californ ian ▁future ▁is ▁set ▁in ▁the ▁El ▁Mod ena ▁neighborhood ▁of ▁Orange ▁in ▁ 2 0 6 5 . ▁It ▁dep ict s ▁a ▁real istic ▁u top ia ▁as ▁it ▁describes ▁a ▁possible ▁transformation ▁process ▁from ▁our ▁present ▁status , ▁to ▁a ▁more ▁e colog ically - f oc used ▁future . ▁The ▁book ▁does ▁not ▁assume ▁a ▁blank ▁sl ate ▁from ▁which ▁e colog ical ▁u top ia ▁can ▁be ▁ere cted , ▁but ▁assumes ▁the ▁buildings , ▁cities