May It Stay Fiction

As we approach the first anniversary (August 16) of the release of Lunar Park, the recent news about the terrorist plot foiled in London reminds me of the pervasive terrorist violence described in the book. In a review of Lunar Park Popmatters notes:

Ellis's alternate reality stretches out much farther than just himself. In
Lunar Park, he imagines a world where terrorists stage not only big attacks on
familiar or important landmarks, but also in "...crowded Burger Kings and Starbucks and Wal-Marts and in subways at rush hour".
Ellis's apocalyptic vision continues: "Miles of major cities had been cordoned off behind barbed wire, and morning newspapers ran aerial photographs of bombed-out buildings on the front page, showing piles of tangled bodies in the shadow of the
crane lifting slabs of scorched concrete. More and more often there were 'no
survivors'. Bulletproof vests were on sale everywhere, because scores of snipers had suddenly appeared; the military police stationed on every corner offered no solace, and surveillance camera proved useless."

Fortunately, nothing like the aforementioned has happened (in America, at least) since 9/11, but airport security has been ramped up more than it's been in a while.