In his novel that ends The California Triptych, Robinson again takes us to the middle of the 21st century. The book is not a literal continuation of the two previous novels. The entire trilogy is different alternative versions of one world. "The Wild Coast" depicted a society surviving a nuclear holocaust. The "Gold Coast" reflected the crisis of the era of arms races and uncontrolled technological progress. "At the Ocean's Edge" is about an environmental and social utopia created through population control, the closure of multinational corporations, the prohibition of war, and the sustainable use of renewable resources. Kevin, a young architect and builder who grew up in this "green" world, finds himself in conflict with Alfredo, the mayor of El Modena, who wants to build a medical center in a protected and idyllic area. Behind the mayor are the faceless forces of corporate remnants. Lawyer Oscar and Kevin's grandfather Tom Barnard, a former dissident and one of the creators of the new social order, will join the fight.