Plot Introduction
The novel is set in a culture where the first person singular is forbidden, and words such as I or me are treated as obscenities or social errors. A powerful new drug enables protagonist Kinnall Darival to attain telepathic contact with others, and this sharing brings him the courage to lead a revolution against his repressive culture.
The novel is presented in the style of an autobiography, written by Kinnall while he awaits impending capture and imprisonment for his cultural crimes.
The theme of I being a forbidden word is shared with Ayn Rand's 1938 novella "Anthem". However, Silverberg stated that he did not know of Rand's book until after his own was published, and that his aim in depicting such a society was completeley different from hers.
Read more about this topic: A Time Of Changes
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