In 1991, Douglas Coupland christened the rise of youth which marked the end of the 20th century with his novel GENERATION X. Nearly twenty years later, Coupland presents his analysis of the next epoch, with this near-future tale of a planet where nature is being slowing replaced by technology. Coupland follows five protagonists from around the globe who are linked by bee stings, a phenomenal occurrence considering that bees are thought to be extinct. The international celebrity that greets the sting-ees is short-lived, as they are soon kidnapped by a clandestine group and sent to a secluded island, while the majority of the world's population returns to nurturing their addiction to Solon, an anxiety suppressant. The island prisoners are coerced into creating stories, and the tales they tell eventually illuminate the shadows of Coupland's engrossing novel.