The Future
Ratings34
Average rating3.9
The bestselling, award-winning author of The Powerdelivers a dazzling tour de force where a handful of friends plot a daring heist to save the world from the tech giants whose greed threatens life as we know it.
When Martha Einkorn fled her father’s isolated compound in Oregon, she never expected to find herself working for a powerful social media mogul hell-bent on controlling everything. Now, she’s surrounded by mega-rich companies designing private weather, predictive analytics, and covert weaponry, while spouting technological prophecy. Martha may have left the cult, but if the apocalyptic warnings in her father’s fox and rabbit sermon—once a parable to her—are starting to come true, how much future is actually left?
Across the world, in a mall in Singapore, Lai Zhen, an internet-famous survivalist, flees from an assassin. She’s cornered, desperate and—worst of all—might die without ever knowing what's going on. Suddenly, a remarkable piece of software appears on her phone telling her exactly how to escape. Who made it? What is it really for? And if those behind it can save her from danger, what do they want from her, and what else do they know about the future?
Martha and Zhen’s worlds are about to collide. An explosive chain of events is set in motion. While a few billionaires assured of their own safety lead the world to destruction, Martha’s relentless drive and Zhen’s insatiable curiosity could lead to something beautiful or the cataclysmic end of civilization.
By turns thrilling, hilarious, tender, and always piercingly brilliant, The Futureunfolds at a breakneck speed, highlighting how power corrupts the few who have it and what it means to stand up to them. The future is coming. The Future is here.
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I really really enjoyed Naomi Alderman's previous novel, The Power, so I was super excited to read this. I unfortunately didn't like this nearly as much as I was anticipating. The futuristic setting was interesting but I did't really care about any of the characters or anything that was going on with them. It was cool that the author intertwined things that are happening present day, or within the last few years, as “history” and the reason why things were the way that they are in the future. The concept of this novel was super cool, the fact that the billionares are actively causing distruction and the advances in technology, but I just wish that there was deeper and more impactful conversations around these topics. It would have been nicer to see more converstaions about how “money is the root of all evil” more than what is commonly talked about now... CAPITALISM! Overall, my experience reading this was just ok and I'm disappointed that I didn't love it.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for providing me with an eBook copy to review.
I chose this novel because I saw it on multiple 2033 "Best of" lists. I wasn't disappointed. It is a rare novel which puts forth big ideas, a compelling setting and a plot which border on being a true "page turner." The novel is set in a world like ours in which 3 mega-tech companies dominate the on-line world. While the names of the companies and their quirky leaders are different than the brands and corporations of our world, it's easy (and fun) to guess who is who. The plot, about which I'll give little away here, is a vehicle for commentary on the damage these- and our tech megaliths are wreaking. The solution presented in the plot is a clever, if fantastical one. Still, it made me think about the state of our word, the damage being done and how to make repairs and even reparations for this. An engaging, thought-provoking read-with even a bit of some key Old Testament stories thrown in!
