I donโt quite know what to make of Naomi Aldermanโs intricate book The Future! There are biblical references alongside discussion of users, algorithms and data streams. A heady mix of ideas to be sure. This book certainly begins with a bang and rockets from there to the end of the world – or is it really?: โ๐๐ ๐ก๐ฉ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฆ ๐ก๐ฉ๐ ๐ค๐ฐ๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ฆ๐, ๐๐๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ฌ๐๐ญ๐ก๐ช๐ ๐ฉ โ ๐๐ธ๐ ๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐ง๐๐ถ๐๐ฅ๐๐ณ ๐ฐ๐ ๐ก๐ฉ๐ ๐น๐ข๐๐ต๐๐ช๐ ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ช๐๐ญ ๐ฏ๐๐ต๐ค๐ฐ๐๐ฌ โ ๐ด๐๐ต ๐ข๐ก ๐๐ข๐ค๐ฏ ๐ฃ๐๐ฏ๐๐ข๐ก๐ฉ ๐ตโ๐ฆ ๐ณ๐๐ฅ๐ค๐ฐ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ฏ ๐ข ๐ฅ๐๐ด๐๐จ๐๐ข๐ก๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ฐ๐๐ข๐ก๐ช๐๐ฏ ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ข๐ก๐ถ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ถ๐ก๐บ ๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐ข๐ก๐ต๐๐ฎ๐๐ต๐๐ฅ ๐ต๐ ๐๐ฏโ๐ข๐๐ฆ ๐ง๐๐ฐ๐ โ๐ช๐ ๐๐ข๐ฃ๐ฆ๐.โ
This book raises lots of interesting questions. In Aldermanโs dystopic setting, three gigantic tech companies hold enormous wealth and power over peopleโs everyday lives. The names are fictional but they could absolutely represent Meta, X or TikTok. Several tech executives seem to have devised a highly secretive doomsday plan in the event of a disaster and they use technology to activate and implement their plans.
Even though this is science fiction, there are enough parallels to our current reality to make this much like Margaret Atwoodโs speculative fiction. (Atwood is a mentor of the author.) Take for example, the fictional Fantail app, which sounds exactly like early Facebook: โ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ต๐ข๐ช๐ญ ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ด๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ช๐ต๐ด๐ฆ๐ญ๐ง ๐ข๐ด ๐ข ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ข๐ค๐ฆโ “๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ช๐ต๐บ ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ง๐ณ๐ช๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ด ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ต ๐ง๐ณ๐ช๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ด” ๐ธ๐ข๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ญ๐ฐ๐จ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐บ ๐ฅ๐ช๐ด๐ค๐ข๐ณ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ง๐ช๐ณ๐ด๐ต ๐บ๐ฆ๐ข๐ณ.โ
This is a fast-paced, thrilling novel with a lot of disparate characters that demand your attention. The book to me is also reminiscent of Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow, which is not surprising considering that Alderman developed the popular online fitness game called Zombies, Run! Overall, the book definitely made an impression on me because Iโve been thinking about it ever since I first picked it up several days ago.
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy! All opinions are my own.
About the Book:
From the award-winning, bestselling author of The Power comes a white-knuckle tour de force and dazzling exploration of the world we have made and where we are going.
The Futureโas the richest people on the planet have discoveredโis where the money is.
The Future is a few billionaires leading the world to destruction while safeguarding their own survival with secret lavish bunkers.
The Future is private weather, technological prophecy and highly deniable weapons.
The Future is a handful of friendsโthe daughter of a cult leader, a non-binary hacker, an ousted Silicon Valley visionary, the concerned wife of a dangerous CEO, and an internet-famous survivalistโhatching a daring plan. It could be the greatest heist ever. Or the cataclysmic end of civilization.
The Future is what you see if you donโt look behind you.
The Future is the only reason to do anything, the only object of desire.
The Future is here.