===Technique and Theme=== 
 Most novels are told in the form of a more or less chronological narrative focussed on the protagonist(s) and antagonist(s) and the story is about the characters. John Ross' technique, alternating chapters of the stories of multiple fictional characters (some who meet and interact) mixed with framing narratives of historic events forming the context of the novel, is similar to the technique used by authors John Dos Passos and John Brunner. In his U.S.A. trilogy, John Dos Passos told his story by mixing chapters in four modes: the stories of the fictional characters; newspaper clippings and song lyrics of their time; biographies of real historical figures; and autobiographic narratives. In Stand on Zanzibar, John Brunner carried this method to an experimental level. These novels are ultimately not about the story of the characters: they are about the larger social commentary themes in the context developed by the framing narratives: the early 20th century development of American society (Dos Passos), possible technological and political responses to overpopulation (Brunner) and the impact of gun politics on civil liberties (Ross). 
 * John Dos Passos, U.S.A. (1938 trilogy of the novels The 42nd Parallel (1930), 1919 (1932), and The Big Money (1936) plus the prologue "U.S.A." (1938))  
 * John Brunner, Stand on Zanzibar, Doubleday, 1968, ISBN 0-090919110-5. 
 Posted in talk for discussion and further research.