IN THIS SERIES OF ELECTRIFYING ESSAYS, ARUNDHATI ROY CHALLENGES US TO REFLECT ON THE MEANING OF FREEDOM IN A WORLD OF GROWING AUTHORITARIANISM. THE ESSAYS INCLUDE MEDITATIONS ON LANGUAGE, PUBLIC AS WELL AS PRIVATE, AND ON THE ROLE OF FICTION AND ALTERNATIVE IMAGINATIONS IN THESE DISTURBING TIMES. THE PANDEMIC, ROY SAYS, IS A PORTAL BETWEEN ONE WORLD AND ANOTHER. FOR ALL THE ILLNESS AND DEVASTATION IT HAS LEFT IN ITS WAKE, IT IS AN INVITATION TO THE HUMAN RACE, AN OPPORTUNITY, TO IMAGINE ANOTHER WORLD.