Here are four urgent stories from author and activist Cory Doctorow, four social, technological and economic visions of the world today and its near—all too near—future.

Unauthorized Bread is a tale of immigration, toxic economic stratification and a young woman's perilously illegal quest to fix a broken toaster.

In Model Minority a superhero finds himself way out his depth when he confronts the corruption of the police and justice system.

Radicalized is the story of a desperate husband, a darknet forum and the birth of a violent uprising against the US health care system.

The final story, The Masque of the Red Death, tracks an uber-wealthy survivalist and his followers as they hole up and attempt to ride out the collapse of society.