Simulation – 1988 distinguishes itself within the science fiction and dystopian genres through several core concepts that fundamentally alter the nature of identity, time, and human connection.
The most unique element is the mechanism of the “glitch”:
Fixed Date: The world is perpetually locked in a time loop, resetting to September 1, 1988, each day at dusk (Pacific time zone). This combines the nostalgia of the 1980s with a post apocalyptic, unchanging landscape.
The Daily Shuffle: Every character’s consciousness is shuffled into a new body at the end of each day. This is a crucial distinction from traditional body swapping or Groundhog Day style loops. While the day resets, the characters’ memories and personal journeys continue, making the conflict cumulative.
Since a character’s body is temporary, the story introduces a profound way for people to maintain identity and connection:
Recognition by Eyes Only: The primary connection point for Ben and Ella is their eyes. Regardless of the body’s age, gender, race, or physical condition, the core consciousness’s “look” remains identifiable. This elevates the eyes to the single, non-transferable aspect of the human soul.
Ephemeral Identity: Characters, like Rosie, may not remember their original gender or body, but they establish their identity based on their consciousness’s cumulative experience.
The antagonist’s motivation is unique to the simulation’s rules:
Motivation: Keith believes the simulation is a “sick joke” where love is “wasted.” His goal is not to escape, but to dwindle the population by one each day, convinced that if no one is aging, he will eventually be the last one remaining.
Weaponization of Bodies: Because his consciousness occupies a different body daily, Keith is a constant, unpredictable threat. He has appeared in bodies ranging from an extremely obese man rigged with explosives to a frail old white woman driving a semi truck, making him impossible to profile or permanently neutralize.
The story’s emotional core is defined by a love that transcends the physical self, a concept pushed to its extreme:
Ultimate Test of Love: Ben and Ella’s relationship is a practical, daily testament to unconditional love, as they literally cannot rely on physical attraction or familiar appearance. They have reunited in bodies across various continents, genders, and ages.
Logistics of Connection: Their pre-glitch history as a traveling nurse enabled them to establish a vast repertoire of meeting places, turning their quest to find each other into a strategic survival necessity.
The character of Rosie represents the ultimate product of this strange new reality:
Synthetic Memory: Rosie was born during the glitch and has no memory of the pre-1988 world. Her identity is purely a creation of the simulation.
Enhanced Recall: She claims to have an extraordinary memory, keeping a tally of every person’s body she has inhabited for more than sixteen years of accumulated days.
