When Does "Make Room! Make Room!" (1966) Take Place?
"Make Room! Make Room!" (released to German-speaking audiences as "New York 1999") is a science fiction novel written by Harry Harrison that released November 2nd, 1966. So when is "Make Room! Make Room!" set?
It takes place in the years:
We know this because (beyond it being in the title on the cover of some editions…) Andrew Rusch's watch is clearly described by the narrator thus: "there was a little number 9 in the middle of the square window. Monday the ninth of August, 1999", at the very start of the main action.
1999 AD - 2000 AD
We know this because (beyond it being in the title on the cover of some editions…) Andrew Rusch's watch is clearly described by the narrator thus: "there was a little number 9 in the middle of the square window. Monday the ninth of August, 1999", at the very start of the main action.
Furthermore, the narrator specifically says earlier, during a prologue, “On this hot day in August in the year 1999”... and, at the very beginning, near a section header reading “Part One”, there is another header before any of the story starts that tells us it's "Monday, August 9, 1999" (in some editions, this is all capitalized: “MONDAY, AUGUST 9, 1999”). So, at the start, it's August of 1999 AD.
The final chapter imcludes celebrations in Times Square described as "the milling crowd in Times Square." and "23:58—11:58 PM—ONE MINUTE TO MIDNIGHT As the words slipped from the screen and were replaced by a giant clockface the crowd cheered and shouted"... so it's New Year's Eve on December 31st, 1999 AD.
The narrative continues just moments after New Year's Eve turns to New Year's Day on January 1st, the first moments of the first day of the first month of 2000 AD. "Above them the second hand had finished a complete circle,
the new century was already one minute old" and the book ends very soon after.
It was adapted to film in 1973 as "Soylent Green".
