Jack London's dystopian novel 'The Iron Heel' posits a futuristic world in which the division between the classes has deepened, creating a menacing oligarchy that rules through terror. Anticipating the science fiction novels of the 1960s and '70s, the book stresses future changes in society and politics while paying less attention to technological details. Much of the narrative is set in the San Francisco Bay Area, including events in San Francisco and Sonoma County.