“Unplaces” is presented as an excerpt from an encyclopedia of imaginary places, recovered from the ruins of Kansas City, which fell in a fascist takeover. The book is on display at the Museum of Fascisms.

Handwritten on the margins of the text are notes by Hannah Leibowitz, a young woman who died in Kansas City. Hannah’s annotations are addressed to her lover, Dr. Lya Carew, who donated the book to the museum.

Through the notes, Hannah reveals that this is the only book she was able to save from the mass book burnings. To survive and evade fascist gangs, Hannah hides out in abandoned buildings in poor neighborhoods. She narrowly escapes one attack, but is presumably captured and killed soon after.

However, before then, she is able to make one last entry. The encyclopedia is divided into two categories: “Places that Never Were” and “Places that Once Existed.” Hannah adds another section, “Places that Might Yet Be,” and expresses hope for a future marked by democracy and empathy.