The Ministry for the Future

The is novel about the the rest of our lives.

It is a history of the next few decades, that focuses around a “the Ministry of the Future” an organization set up to implement the Paris climate agreement. The novel is based in Zurich, but shifts around the world from catastrophic heat wave, to revolutions, terrorism, strikes, to ‘carbon quantiative easing' and a transformation of central banking.

In reality, the global economy is eroding nature and destablizing the climate, pushing the world towards catastrophe. Humanity needs to change our civilization, substantially, to help us start building a liveable planet, for all.

KSR's novel sketches a possible transition towards such a society is therefore, pretty unique, well written, and essential. I didn't like some of the banking sections, which I didn't find convincing or engaging, but the overall goal of the book compensates for these flaws for me.

While I found the book too negative in parts, and widely optimistic in others, this type of near future novel is incredibly engaging, and provoking explores a possible pathways out of our current crisis.