This is a prequel to _Rolltown_, though it doesn't neatly mesh with the earlier novel. Both novels feature a policeman named Bat Hardin. But the characters aren't much alike. In _Rolltown_, Hardin is an amiable, somewhat insecure cop who is convinced that he is not highly intelligent. But in _Commune 2000_, which supposedly occurs earlier, he is a tough, hard-bitten, self-confident man. Also, _Rolltown_ is an action oriented novel, while _Commune 2000_ is more of a straight social study.
The central character is an academician who is asked to investigate communes for his dissertation and who gradually realizes that the project is sponsored by government agencies that want to control or squash them. There are lots of details on a variety of communes-- including a lesbian commune, an artist's colony, and a Greek revival colony-- and information on the history of communes and utopias. Reynolds makes the point that a lot of communes for various kinds of nonconformists can be benificial to mainstream society over the long haul.
Some of the dialogue is on the slangy side, and there are some sex scenes that are pretty awful. But on the balance, this is a readable and thoughtful book.
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