The Power is one of my favorite books of recent years so I was excited to read Naomi Alderman’s latest. While it does have the brilliant worldbuilding, strong characters, and sometimes brilliantly inventive prose and plotting of The Power, I also found it got bogged down several times and I wanted it to get to the point a little more quickly. When it all comes together, towards the end, it finishes most satisfyingly.

Once again, Big Tech is up to no good and the owners of the big three companies aren’t too concerned about the end of the world; in fact, they’ve prepared for it. Right from the start, we know the clock is ticking down and the first chapter leaves us with the solipsistic trio jetting off to a safe location. But there is a quiet revolution right under their noses to take control and guide the world to a better place.

Set in the near future in which three companies credibly control all hardware, all social media, and all commerce, this feels like it’s going to be a bleak dystopia but instead turns out to be a hopeful and even optimistic vision of where we could go if we worked together rather than individually. Although the “we” in this case is another small group of technocrats.

There is a large cast of black hats and white hats, and the two protagonists that thread through the sometimes meandering Before narrative are a little more nuanced. Lai Zhen is a survivalist specialist who somewhat accidentally falls into the twisted conspiracy. Martha Einkorn is the daughter of a cult leader and is now the executive assistant of the Musk-esque Lenk Sketlish. The teachings of her father have stayed with her and there are some spooled out analyses of Biblical stories and sermons on a survivalist forum which link to the themes of the novel.

Set in a not too distant future, there are threats that are entirely familiar to us: eco-disasters, pandemics, and online social collapse. The author sometimes shows her research a little too obviously, when characters swap didactic chunks of information, but she has created a cohesive and credible world from the threads of our own. While not as electrifying as The Power (haha), this is still decent science fiction and is recommended for those who are hoping the end of the world can be stopped from within.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for the digital review copy.

Thanks to @simonbooks for sending me The Future. This published today! This book swept me in and did not let go. The editor’s note at the front of the review copy calls it biblical and I would have to agree. The scope, the depth, the commentary on human nature is epic and poignant.

Three tech billionaires orchestrate the world ending, and in such a manner that they know about it in advance and can flee to their luxurious bunkers while the rest of the world self destructs. A group of friends formulate a heist of sorts to thwart their plan and to save the future. When I say this book shocked me on multiple occasions and had me on the edge of my seat, I’m not exaggerating. This is one I’ll be thinking about for awhile, and the characters were all so developed and interesting, I feel like I know them.

Definitely recommend for fans of cli fi, dystopian, and sci fi!

The world is about to end and a select few are going to make sure they survive.

The Future takes place in a world where tech giants control everything. The story starts out at some point in the future. Tech is everywhere. While there are some similarities to today society also looks a lot different so it takes a while to get used to the world. At the same time we're trying to follow the plot. There are a lot of characters as well. Things begin to get confusing.

The Future is an interesting concept but there is a lot going on. There is so much detail that it's hard to maintain focus. This isn't a fast paced thriller although there are a lot of scenes that readers may enjoy. Some of the themes connecting the plot are not going to be for everyone. They weren't for me. It's a longer book and it feels like it too.

The Future is a thriller for readers who enjoy a high concept, detailed plot and who like to explore what if scenarios.

The Future is here. Three billionaire tech giants control a huge portion of the world’s technology and data. These insanely wealthy industry moguls have survival plans should the proverbial shit ever hit the fan, giving them the ability to flee to their doomsday bunkers at a moment’s notice. Their tech and data are so powerful that they’re even plugged into an early-detection system for world-ending catastrophic events, and that’s where our story begins.

This is the kind of book that’s hard to review without giving away any spoilers but… wow. The Future is dystopian but feels all too plausible and thought-provoking in the extreme. Are there obvious parallels to certain billionaires in the real world? Yes, along with data ownership issues, the power of aggregated data, and wealth inequality. Now add in climate change and religion and you’ve got a tale that has the potential to live rent-free in your head for a good long time.

The Future is ambitious and prescient but also uneven. The pacing was choppy: at times I couldn’t read fast enough; at other points I could hardly make myself pick it back up. Sometimes I was fascinated, sometimes I was bored, and more than once I felt like I wasn’t smart enough to put it all together. It’s the kind of book that would make a phenomenal book club pick, and I’m looking forward to discussing it with my buddy read group!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me an advance copy of this book.

The Future
By Naomi Alderman

The dystopian future portrayed in this book is frightening, but not unrealistic. In fact, the future in this book is pretty close to the now that we are living.

The world as we know it is coming to an end. All of our technology is controlled by the rich few. They have mastered the weather. They have provided AI which can provide for our every need. But have we become so manipulated by the technological world that we have forgotten that, in fact, we live in the natural world?

This is a powerful book. It presents a bleak future. Unfortunately it does not provide answers on how to avoid this future. Alas, it may already be too late.

Full review coming shortly!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me fo read this book!

Having loved Naomi Alderman’s The Power and the TV series that followed this year, I knew I had to read her newest release, The Future.

I really loved the premise of this book, but I’m not quite sure how to even describe it. Three billionaires spend much of their time and money building secret safe bunkers for a possible apocalypse, rather than working to stave off said apocalypse.

A group of friends who are all seconds to the billionaires form a group to take over the tech created by the billionaires so they can try to save the world.

The main character is a refugee from Hong Kong who becomes a famous survivalist teaching others about how to prepare and survive if the apocalypse hits and she becomes caught in the middle of everything!

I had a hard time following the writing as the time periods kept going back and forth between the present and back stories. There were also bible stories on a survivalist website posting group that made no sense at first. It all finally made sense, but I admit to being quite lost a lot of the time. Once it all came together and the big reveals came, my mind was definitely blown. And yes, it was all worth it!

So if you’ve read this, are you a rabbit or are you a fox? As much as I’d love to say I’m a fox, I’m definitely a rabbit. For now.

*Thanks so much to Simon Books and NetGalley for the gifted advance eGalley!*

4.5/5

There's just so much to unpack in this book! It would be a great choice for a buddy read or a book club. I feel like it has something for everyone because it deals with topics that affect us all. Even though they hadn't read the story, I basically forced my husband and my oldest son to debate with me the topics and ethical concerns addressed in The Future. 😅

Alderman did an amazing job with the advanced technology aspect of the story. I was so intrigued by it all. Some prospects of the future in The Future are concerning and downright disturbing. It makes you wonder if this isn't some kind of cautionary tale.

If you want a book that makes you yell, "What?!?" and has you staying up way past your bedtime, grab The Future. I want everyone to read it so we can talk about it!

Read this if you like:
• Science fiction
• Books with twists
• Books with lots of topics for discussion
• Fast-paced, engaging reads

Much like Alderman's first novel, The Power, this is quite a timely novel that we can see in headlines today. Tech giants and billionaires controlling way too much of our world, leaving us both dependent and abandoned by them. It's an interesting and all too real concept that will intrigue readers who are fans of realism and dystopia. However, it was a slow build for me and could have had better pacing. I would say that I enjoyed The Power more and found it better constructed and tightly woven but this was definitely worth the read. Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

THE FUTURE is a COMPLEX novel! [Yes, Virginia, I realize "future" as a concept is also COMPLEX: I've read Alvin Toffler.] Multilayered, multicharactered, mutiple points of view, multiple concepts and disciplinary approaches....usually with a book this thought-provoking I would take time before reviewing, but Release Date crept up on me.

This is the first work by Naomi Alderman I have read, so I am not aware if Complexity is a pattern, but I am intuiting probably so [going on the depths and extents of THE FUTURE and of descriptions of her other novels]. Those like me who are fascinated with Neal Stephenson's SEVENEVES and Kim Stanley Robinson's NEW YORK 2140 and MINISTRY FOR THE FUTURE will, I believe, find much of benefit here.
As with Sean Doolittle's DEVICE FREE WEEKEND, which I read not too long ago, the Billionaires' Darwinian elitism throughout the novel infuriated me extensively. But of course, that is only ONE theme among many.

Concluding: just read THE FUTURE. Please. It will benefit you, rip your mind apart, then rebuild it so differently. You won't see "world" or the "future" the same way again.

4.5 stars

We are in a not so distant future where tech billionaires are building bunkers to survive the inevitable end of the world (whatever that reason is probably exacerbated by their influence). Sound familiar?? Enter some people close to these billionaires who are unsettled by their selfishness and want to help create a better future. While parts of this book are grim and disturbingly REAL overall I feel the direction it headed was one of optimism, which I appreciated. Be sure to pay attention as the plot jump back and forth in time at parts. Some minor pacing issues here and there. Even though the beginning few chapters suck you in - the plot takes a bit to really reveal itself, but once things get going it's a page turner. Overall this was a very poignant and thought provoking read!

Naomi always writes books at the right times when they are just so spot on. The Power is a fav and this one did not disappoint (although they are very different books). This book is about how important human connection and community are, as well as connection with nature. I highly recommend it to everyone cause we’re basically all living in this reality, but especially if you're interested in how technology has and can continue to influence our world.

Content warnings:
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Suicide attempt, Violence, Animal death (hunting, an instance of survival human v animal), Gore, Suicide, refugee crisis, religious cults, and Classism
Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic, Cancer, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, civil/political unrest, and Sexual content
Minor: Incest and Mental illness

If you read the description of the book that’s supplied beforehand “The Future is this…” or “The Future is that…” you’ll wonder if there is a plot somewhere in this dystopian novel. There is, but it’s a basic treatise about wealth inequality and the apocalypse — the big billionaires (possible stand-ins for the heads of Amazon, Microsoft, Apple) will have hidden bunkers and the rest of us won’t. So, maybe they live while the rest of us go extinct. No happy endings guaranteed, and will you care about what happens to the greedy survivors?

Alderman has an expansive and pessimistic imagination — in her future, your Apple Watch will be able to give you steps to defeat an assassin. However, this is the kind of novel that needs you to concentrate on the all futuristic details and endure a structure of multiple POVs, unknown timelines, excessive swearing, intrusive Reddit-like threads, and weird chapter headings. You’ll end up going down multiple Google black holes trying to understand some references and Biblical quotes — sometimes to realize that you just researched an imaginary fact. This book just wasn’t for me, and I had to skip ahead multiple times before I DNFed it (I did read the last chapter to see if I should continue, but although there’s a twist, I wasn’t tempted to resume my slog). There’s an audience for Alderman (readers did love her previous work, The Power), but it was too messy for my tastes. Sorry — 3 stars.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

“The only way to know the future is to control it.”

Wow, what a read! I was so excited to read this one after loving The Power and Naomi Alderman did not disappoint!

A riveting adventure, sent in the not too far future where tech and consumerism is king, Alderman explores the idea of the shockwaves that small changes can make. Told in multiple POVs from across different points in the timeline, it’s a puzzle to put together what is happening. Some of the twists I saw coming, others made me laugh when I caught on, but I enjoyed them all.

I highly recommend The Future, especially if you enjoyed The Power!

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC! My opinions are my own.

This was a wild ride - one that I enjoyed very very little. I think this may be the last Alderman book I read, because I didn't enjoy <i>The Power</i> either.

<i>The Future</> takes place a few years from now (I think) and follows a few different characters. Three CEOs of major technology/social media companies, one of their executive assistants, and a well-known survivalist influencer. The general premise, as I understood it, was the three CEOs secretly planning for their own survival in the event of an apocalypse.

Honestly, this entire reading experience felt like a bizarre fever dream. Sure, there were parts that were recognizable - I appreciate the mentions of COVID and its impact on the world. But overall, the plot lines were either too drawn out, so twisty as to be impossible to follow, or filled with holes.

There's also a point at which the unreliability of narration takes the fun out of a story, and this book zoomed right past that point somewhere after the 2/3s mark. I felt like my head was being done in, and not in a "wow! what a feat of the author's mind!" kind of way.

I enjoyed Martha as a character, as well as Albert. The rest of them? I couldn't care less. Many were part of plot lines that could have easily been cut without impacting the book's purpose at all. The CEOs were boring and unremarkable, regardless of the ridiculousness that is Lenk Sketlish’s name.

Despite trying to appear as realistic as possible in a dystopia, a few aspects of this book failed (and annoyed me the most). The most glaring was the relationship between Lai Zhen and Martha. As queer women, we may be famous for u-hauling, but we don't meet once, fall in love, and then live happily ever after. It literally just doesn't work that way.

Lastly, major tw for graphic suicide attempt.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an arc!

Scrolling social media can often feel like watching the end of the world unfold in real time. Which tragedies du jour will blow over, and which will change the course of life as we know it? It's tough to tell in the moment, and being witness to all of them is exhausting. Add in a chronic worry about how much information the almighty algorithms are giving me, and what they're taking from me, and going online feels as precarious as it is inevitable.

So it's timely, I guess, that Naomi Alderman's latest novel, The Future, is here to stoke all of those fears anew.

A lot of the elements within The Future are easy to find in today's headlines: climate change, religious or political extremism, rampant mis- or disinformation, tech companies having enormous international power with seemingly no government to answer to, algorithms knowing more about us than we know about ourselves—the list goes on. It makes the world that Alderman unfolds eerily familiar, and that familiarity functions as a tether through the jumping, crisscrossing, and otherwise shuffled times and places through which we unpack the story. It's a style of narrative advancement that feels about as orderly as a Bingo game until the last section, but each plot point is fortunately compelling enough to keep going despite whatever disorientation they bring.

As the story unfolds, so, too, does the relevance of the periodic posts from a social media site that might as well be called Definitely-not-Reddit. Long and rambling and circling round and round the Biblical story of Lot—his relationship with his uncle Abraham, his extremely odd prioritization in the face of raiders storming into his house, fleeing Sodom, and the little business of incest that ends his story. The point of these massive posts largely centers on the end of the world, a subject at the forefront of the author's mind offline, too. While the conclusions drawn from these posts are arguable, the central question of how long a world is worth saving, and what remains when the world ends, has gone round and round in my mind since reading The Future.

The overall conclusion of what Martha and her club of concerned power-adjacents, too, is arguable. Literally, in the case of my partner and me arguing for days about it, based on the spoilery summary I gave him after finishing the book. No matter who wins the argument, this is a book I'll be thinking about for a long, long time.

(A longer version of this review, including a book synopsis, will go live at https://ringreads.com/2023/11/07/the-future-a-chilling-story-of-the-near-present/ at 2:22 p.m. MST 7 November 2023)

I was given an ARC of this through Netgalley. This was so intriguing! The story takes a multi POV, with a back-and-forth time frame leading to the end of the world. The stories we hear encompass such a wide array of who the characters are and what they believe in, as well as what shaped them to be who they are. It was very fast-paced, and I loved the idea of seeing some online forums from the companies that the tech CEOs we read about own. Overall, I would not consider myself a dystopian loving reader, but this book was very hard to put down. It certainly begs the questions of what happens behind the scenes for the rich and famous that the average folk knows nothing about, as well as how society in general handles emergencies and repercussions for our actions,

Humanity at its worst when elites are power hungry with greed and selfishness...

This book is a powerful read for me that left me deep in thought.

Three elites, finding out there is a possible world end. Do they try to save society or just focused on saving themselves?

Hit true to my belief that's for sure....

There is so much to this book I recommend this to everyone to read especially any rich elite.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced digital ARC in return for my honest opinion.

I had a hard time rating this one due to mixed feelings. This is one of those books that I think would be great for a book club because discussion with others would have really helped me better form my thoughts and opinions. I went in thinking it was a dystopian novel about the world ending but it was so much more than that. Part of the story revolves around three tech billionaires, loosely based on Bezos, Musk, and Zuckerberg. They're all preparing for a predicted apocalypse with secret bunkers and plans for "the future." The other main characters are Martha, Lenk's (aka Mark's) assistant who was raised in a survivalist cult and Zhen, who made it through the Fall of Hong Kong and now runs a highly successful survival vlog. There are a few more interesting side characters but they all share a common plot, preparing for the future.

There's a lot of different themes and deep ideas going on, such as affects of global warming, pandemics, the power of technology and AI, religion and the Bible, Fox vs Rabbit, individual vs world population, and what our real-life future may look like.

Overall, even though I only gave three stars, I highly recommend because I think many will ultimately enjoy this one more than I did. I loved the premise, the ending, and some sections through the middle. But a lot of other parts bored me a bit and I felt relieved when I would get through them.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the free copy for review.

This book is a wild ride - Billionare, envionmental collapse, AI, Technology, survivalist and CULTS - its alot going on but was hooked the whole time. The path to the end was not what i expected. I was a big fan of The Power years ago and this does alot of the same well - making you rethink alot of your worldview and assumptions (while also being very entertaining). can see this as a great apple TV show someday in THE FUTURE - out 11.7

Naomi Alderman's The Future is an absorbing and unpredictable dystopian novel. I absolutely loved it and could not put it down. It's taken me a few weeks to actually draft a review because the book is so unique and many aspects that I loved I'd rather leave to the reader to discover on their own. In the broadest of strokes it's about corporate greed, a pandemic, a climate crisis and survival. It's brimming with questions of morality, often invoking the tale of the wicked city of Sodom. What do the richest of the rich owe to society? What does the individual owe to the community? Do the ends justify the means? This book will have you thinking and keep you thinking long after you've turned the final page. If you're concerned such a philosophical book would be a bore, then you'd be wrong. The Future is fast-paced and action-packed, with multiple intriguing settings and plot twists.

I know Alderman's previous book, The Power, was wildly popular. It's been on my TBR for far too long. I can't wait to read that one too!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC.