Leiendecker found the time setting of the novel difficult to assign. From the titling of [[Mr. Thompson]] as "Head of the State" instead of [[President of the United States]] (and the total lack of appearance of Mr. Thompson's first name), and the division of the civilized world into the United States and the various People's States throughout the world, Leiendecker concluded, or cited certain anonymous sources who concluded, that the action of the novel occurred between 1980 and 1984. | Leiendecker found the time setting of the novel difficult to assign. From the titling of [[Mr. Thompson]] as "Head of the State" instead of [[President of the United States]] (and the total lack of appearance of Mr. Thompson's first name), and the division of the civilized world into the United States and the various People's States throughout the world, Leiendecker concluded, or cited certain anonymous sources who concluded, that the action of the novel occurred between 1980 and 1984. |