A Diversity of Creatures

"A Diversity of Creatures" by Rudyard Kipling is a set of short stories from the 1900s displaying Kipling's signature storytelling, mixing humor, wisdom, and observations about society to look at what it means to be human and the odd parts of life by showing how people connect with where they live. Beginning in the year 2065, readers find a future where the Aërial Board of Control rules the planets. “As Easy as ABC,” the first adventure, shares a problem in Northern Illinois, a place that has cut itself off from the planet’s network, sparking worries about privacy. Because of this, the Board puts together a group to check things out, which leads to funny and messy interactions with the locals, revealing how much they value being free and resist outside control, setting the stage for a story that plays with ideas of power, personal liberty, and the results of how society is set up.