“A few years ago it dawned on me that everybody past a certain age ... pretty much constantly dreams of being able to escape from their lives. They don't want to be who they are any more. They want out. This list includes Thurston Howell the Third, Ann-Margret, the cat members of Rent, Václav Havel, space shuttle astronauts and Snuffleupagus. It's universal.”

Canadian novelist and cultural commentator, Douglas Coupland is best known for his satirical exploration of millennial life and consumer culture. His 1991 novel *Microserfs* became a defining work of the digital age, while *Generation X* (1992) offered a sharp, generational critique of alienation and materialism. His essays and fiction continue to dissect the contradictions of modern existence.