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I read a dystopian novel set in decaying Los Angeles about a Barbie museum. But there was a collective living there building an archive about violence against women below ground. There was a horrible government that would have destroyed the archive; the Barbie museum was their cover and their recruiting ground. This was pre-1990s.

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  • Do you know anything about how LA got so dystopian/decaying? Was this a post-apocalyptic novel, or did the author think that society was on this downward path anyway? Jul 21, 2021 at 17:36
  • It's probably not the correct book, but In the Heart of the Valley of Love is set in a decaying future Los Angeles and one Goodreads reviewer does mention "a future Los Angeles - deep, underground buildings" Jul 21, 2021 at 20:58
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    No, thanks, not it. The only building underground was the one where the doll museum collective lived. It was dystopian because of a catastrophic national event and totalitarianism and was probably set about now or 10 years ago.
    – danak
    Jul 23, 2021 at 17:42
  • Do you remember anything about the nature of this "catastrophic natural event"? Also, was this a full-length novel or a short-story, or something inbetween like a novella? Finally, do you remember anything about the cover art, including anything like borders or fonts that might help identify the publisher? Jul 23, 2021 at 23:40
  • This might be one of Ron Goulart's "Fragmented America" books. Maybe the first one (After Things Fell Apart) or the second one, Gadget Man. Must warn you, I don't think I'd want to read either! Sep 13, 2022 at 11:28

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