Baker presents over a dozen versions of a fictionalized America in Why Visit America, ranging from the mundane and believable (legalized prostitution) to the fantastical (children born without souls). Regardless of the vision of America presented in a given story, it invariably provides Baker with a compelling lens through which he can reveal the dystopian underside of the America in which we actually live.

Baker's perspective on America shines through in standout stories like "Life Sentence," "The Transition," and "Lost Souls," but even the stories that appear weaker, if only by comparison, are carried by the strength of Baker's prose. A truly enjoyable and thought-provoking read deserving of attention and debate.

I have mixed feelings about this collection of short stories, only because I LOVED about half or two-thirds of them, and I really did not like the rest. But I'm going with four stars because wow, the ones that I loved were some of the most intriguing, inventive premises I've ever had the pleasure of reading - millions of miles of theory packed into one concise story. These are Black Mirror-esque, but saying that almost takes away from the true creativity of these stories and tries to fit them into a label that we're just all familiar with.

All of the stories feature some sort of new world, in which technology has intervened to solve a social ill and make our society a healthier, better functioning place. Each story takes a look at one person or family who is affected by these solutions, for better or for worse. In our world, prisons are terrible solutions - they do not rehabilitate criminals, nor do they result in lower rates of recidivism. In the world of "Life Sentence," memory wiping is a common practice - regular people can get it done to erase an embarrassing moment at a party, but it's mandatory for criminals. Whatever their prison sentence would have been in our world, that's the duration of time that's wiped from their past memory. The protagonist in the story has done something bad that he isn't allowed to know, and in lieu of a life sentence in prison, his whole life of memories is wiped away, including his childhood, his marriage, and memories of his kids. He gets sent back to his family a completely new person, and they have to deal with the husband and father they hardly know anymore.

In "Rites," it's become common practice for elderly people over the age of 70 choose when and how they want to die, and turn it into a final "rite," gathering their friends and family and leaving the world with dignity. This saves our society a lot of money in healthcare costs, and it eliminates the cruel institutions of nursing homes and senior living facilities. It's seen as a wonderful thing, a celebration of life and the respectful, graceful way to go. But in the story, Great-Uncle Orson refuses to have his rites. His family thinks it's incredibly selfish, how he insists on dying naturally. Society shuns him. He's living on stolen time.

In "The Transition," the main character hates, hates, hates living in his physical body. Now, there's a procedure in which he can upload his entire consciousness to the cloud, interact with family and friends, and shed the burden of a body. His family doesn't approve, saying "I reject the notion that somebody can be born that way," and "If you're born in a body, then you belong in a body, and that's that."

Some of these stories are already being adapted for film/TV, and I could easily see a Black Mirror anthology creating the elaborate worlds with that paradoxical questions and ethical dilemmas that each world raises. If you like near-future dystopia, surreal premises, and thought experiments you'll love this. Thank you to Henry Holt for the ARC!

The concept is original and captivating, and Baker's voice is original and interesting. It's filled with sharp humor and thought-provoking observations and ideas about society, and where we may be headed. Or the possibilities of what could be. Definitely Black-Mirror-esque and will be interested to see what Baker comes out with next.

I enjoyed this one far more than I thought that I would. The premise of the stories being written about citizens from Plainfield, Texas that have become their own country that is trying to get tourists from the America that they came from to visit is unique. Each story has a different writing theme: rom com, horror, erotica, etc. and somehow this collection works. It is an interesting mix of stories that was enjoyable to read.

I was interested in Matthew Baker's "Why Visit America" because I keep reading about his stories being optioned by Hollywood for movies or TV shows. I think 6 or 7 at least have been picked up including four by Noah Hawley who I'm a fan of. Some of these stories are excellent. Baker invites comparisons to "Black Mirror" and I think it's an apt comparison. He creates some truly amazing premises for his stories that feature a slightly sci-fi skewed version of America.

A couple stories didn't grab me, but many, many of them were tremendous. Baker is a great writer.

Netgalley provided me with a e-version of the book in return for my thoughts.

This book was filled with unexpected tales. A look into the future perhaps? The more I read; the more I wanted to know . A tale of becoming so involved with social media you give up your physical body. A town so fed up it seceded to become its own country. Children raised without .others. A female run society. The stories keep you thinking about them after you are finished. A book to read again.