How The Queue Unmasks the Dangers of Authoritarianism and Surveillance
Imagine a world where citizens are trapped in an unending queue, waiting for a faceless authority to dictate their fate. The Queue , a haunting dystopian novel by Egyptian author Basma Abdel Aziz, presents such a reality. Published in 2013, the novel has been widely praised for its chilling portrayal of bureaucracy, authoritarian rule, and the struggle for survival under an oppressive regime. Often compared to George Orwell’s 1984 and Franz Kafka’s The Trial , The Queue offers a thought-provoking and unsettling reflection on power, control, and human resilience. Plot Summary: The Never-Ending Wait The novel is set in an unnamed Middle Eastern country where the government, known only as "The Gate," holds absolute control over every aspect of its citizens' lives. The Gate's decisions are final and unquestionable, and people are required to wait indefinitely in an enormous queue for permission to do anything—whether it is receiving medical treatment, purchasing essenti...