What the heck did I just read? I realize that I am, by far, in the minority in my opinion of this book. Most reviews are glowing, giving the book, on average, more than 4.5 stars. I think it is closer to a 3-star book. There is nothing inherently wrong with it. However, I found the occasional. message board formatting is jarring. The rest of the book is fairly well done. The message that we must protect the world is timely and something we should heed. I am most likely the outlier, as I am sure that this LGBTQ-friendly book will be well-received by most.

I really loved this book. I tend to be fascinated by dystopian-esque stories that mirror our current world. The Future has three tech giants at its center: they are renamed, but pretty clearly Apple, Amazon and Facebook. The power and harm they do to the world in the book mirrors the harm they do in ours. Examining this in a fictional format makes for a really interesting (and at times ridiculous) story. I don’t want to give anything away, but I was genuinely surprised by a few twist and turns. I couldn't put it down.

It must be said that I definitely did not understand the majority of the tech talk, but it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story. Overall, a great read with an engaging main character (Zhen).

Another page turner by Naomi Alderman a multi layered story that drew me right in.This is a book I will be recommending to lovers of sci-fi those who enjoy a unique story.#netgalley #simon&schuster

Much like The Power, though to a lesser degree, this one struck me as a hugely ambitious, engaging, and relevant idea, condensed down into too small a format. The Future is partly about the role this decade's technology is playing in hastening the end of humanity, from encouraging polarization and extremism on social media in order to drive clicks to hastening habitat breakdown in a race for certain resources. It's also about the billionaires behind the tech, and how they can afford to be blasé about the damage they're doing because they all have bunkers and escape plans. It's about people working closely with them and looking for ways to defray the damage, and people on the periphery of their influence who are just trying to survive. And it doesn't always strike a compelling balance between these elements.

Among other things, the three billionaires running significant worldwide corporations hastening the damage don't get enough characterization for us to really see them as people instead of forces, which would be fine if later parts of the book didn't require us to see them as people, and have some investment in them as individuals. And there's a queer love story in the middle of all of this that's compelling, but that the book keeps zipping away from for such long periods that it's hard to know (or at times, remember) what other participant is thinking about in the middle of all this. Big portions of the book are given over to length religious/metaphorical rants posted by one of the characters on an online board, and while they give the book a kind of topline conceptual framework, it just isn't as compelling as the actual characters.

There are a handful of observations and ruminations in all of this, about the exact ways tech makes us dumber and madder, why that's profitable, and what could be done about it, that are really bold and intriguing. At times, this book is reminiscent of something Michael Crichton might have done at his absolute best, when he wasn't leaning into xenophobia or denialism. And whenever it keeps the focus personal and specific, it's also enjoyable and gripping. It just has such a tendency to zoom out to the macro just when the personal story is most intriguing, and to obfuscate story elements in ways that I think were maybe meant to provoke intrigue and excitement, but instead just got a bit confusing.

Overall, still a strong and satisfying read, a stealth hopepunk book that strongly suggests it's possible to make a difference in the world, and that giving into despair accomplishes nothing. It's just that as with <I>The Power</i>, I kept seeing hints of an even stronger and more satisfying project that might have been built on the same bones.

So many twist and turns. Plot was intense and unthinkable. Fantastic follow up story. A must read story!

I liked The Power but I love this. Actually unputdownable! Already started recommending it to friends.

I barely know where to start with this.

The good: The storyline grabbed me from the very beginning. Intriguing, exciting, unexpected, the action is fantastic. The characters are diverse and so memorable. And many unusual. The descriptions are written in a way I could easily envision it all. Some really fabulous tech and science and engineering going on in this story. Some deep revelations, too.

The bad: every now and then, I thought, "What in the world are you talking about? I don't understand anything I just read in the past 3 paragraphs, and I'm not going back to reread your little train track you just veered onto." Also, multiple names of important characters starting with the same fiest letter, I absolutely hate that so much. Confused me for at least 100 pages.

And you know what? The good is so good, it overshadows the bad. And the twists are... unusual and so good. YET, this is only a thriller in parts. Twists and action are written so calmly. You're drawn in and enjoying it but not holding your breath, and that's ok.

This book was so good and also something else, I don't even know how to label it.

Can ordinary people fight against the inexorable tide of technology development and corporate power? Similar to her strategy in "The Power," Naomi Alderman weaves together many narrative threads to create a cautionary tale about our near future. Plausibly based on current advances in technology, such as artificial intelligence and social media, The Future follows the endless ambitions of three technology titans. However, these ambitions also connect other characters who are closely connected to the leaders. This group forms an unlikely friendship as they try to use technology and human creativity to undo the damage that is being done to our environment and our human societies and relationships.

The complex plot will keep the reader guessing and rooting not only for our group of friends, but also for our executives. I found myself wishing and hoping that they would see that they could use their wealth and power to work for redemption and a better future. While I felt that the resolution was not as elegantly written as the rest of the book, I was, indeed, surprised and engaged throughout the novel. It left me thinking about the direction of our technology and corporate development.

I enjoyed The Power and looked forward to this book.
I like it! It had some twists and turns!

I just reviewed The Future by Naomi Alderman. #NetGalley

Naomi Alderman’s The Power was one of my favorite reads of 2021. I knew, when I read the summary of her new novel, that this one would be right up my alley. A questioning of our relationship with tech, AI, hegemonic mega companies, and survivalism, all wrapped in Alderman’s fast paced plot and vivid characterizations? Yes please.

The novel doesn’t disappoint. Alderman’s prose seamlessly alternates between straightforward dialogue, lyrical descriptions, and philosophical speculation. Her treatment of current events (the barely controlled progression of AI tech, the omnipresence of and overdependence on a handful of tech companies (the parallels between the novel’s three fictional companies and Apple, Meta, Amazon were both fun and frightening to read), humanity’s headlong destruction of ecosystems and biodiversity, the rise of political polarization and staggering inequalities) will match many a reader’s preoccupations. The recurring motif of the future, our choice to witness it passively or change it actively, will also resonate. Alderman does a truly impressive job tackling all these topics in a well-thought-of and carefully plotted manner, while intermingling them with the personal story of a handful of characters the reader can’t help but root for: a small group of tech workers turned activists, a survival expert, and yes, even the founders and leaders of the very tech companies accused of doing a not insignificant part in the destruction of the planet. The diverse representation is the cherry on the cake that is this very exciting novel: non binary characters, gays and lesbians, Asian and Black ladies, all of whom kick some serious ass. A very exciting and enjoyable read that asks (and occasionally answers) some important questions.

In conclusion: I’m in love with Naomi Alderman’s brain and I will keep reading everything she ever wants to put out in the world.

**Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!**

I was not prepared for what I stepped into, I was not ready for it, and I'm stopping at 5%. That said, the writing is sharp, the style is edgy, and I can definitely see this going over well with the sci fi market. It's fresh, mixing dystopia with modern and present day references.

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

Lenk.
"This moment was gone as soon as it was noticed. There could be no prize or possession there."

Zimri.
"Wanting to hold on to the past is a weakness. The only safety was to be independent enough to survive."

Ellen.
"Badger was their youngest, their nonbinary child with a radical political stance. Badger had mentioned several times that they did not approve of this whole system, of warnings and private jets and hidden safe bunkers in New Zealand. A chain reaction. Somewhere in the jungle, there was a tiger."

Martha
"...Who had always been able to put her feelings into a box, to not reach out, to not admit she was lonely, to do the next sensible thing over and over."

And here we get the big question: "Would you take the golden ticket out?"

Zhen: "Most survival plans work better with a solid group."

Badger: "Someone I know said you were trustworthy. Are you trustworthy?"

This story - obviously dystopian. Near-future. Cautionary, like Animal Farm, perhaps.

Please note the importance of Fox and Rabbit.

And a vocabulary word, upon which the entire plot hinges: augur.

(Also, nods to Orpheus and Lot. And a little Horizon: Zero Dawn, and a little Lost.)

Zhen: "Often you never know."
Martha: "How do you bear it?"

So, what is the story really about?

"So it's about: welcoming strangers, caring for the members of society who have nothing. Not thinking just about your own needs. These cities: don't trust them. They will all come crashing down." (100)

I. Loved. This. Book.

But it is unique, and maybe not for everyone. But highly recommend.

The author of the POWER - a cutting book and mesmerizing tv series is back!

The novel revolves around the world coming close to disaster. The very powerful and wealthy are much more consumed with creating bunkers than taking steps to stave off disaster. Several characters emerge to root for including a Chinese refugee and an ex-cult member - both extremely intelligent and resourceful.

Peppered with board discussions of the end -of-days and prepper talk, the novel takes us through what could happen and honestly, very well might. In typical style, Alderman has created a perfectly paced thriller that has enough twists to entertain even those of us not interested in prepping, dystopia and tech danger. Best yet, women are still at the center of the tale, this isn't a dry spy/international doomsday story.

If you love an intelligent thriller, a prophetic cli-fi story or just want to read what's next from the author of The Power - The Future is for you! #Simon&Schuster #NaomiAlderman #TheFuture #Clify #prepper

“The future calls on us one painful step at a time and the first rule of life is to survive.”

As a fan of The Power, I had high expectations and this book did not disappoint! I feel like The Power was so effective in highlighting the issue of power imbalances in gender. For me, The Future draws its strength from a web of storytelling, pulling threads of commercialization, social media, wealth inequality, climate change, over consumption, polarizing politics, etc into a tapestry that is the future. All of which is shown through characters striving to survive. How each of these characters choose to interpret survival reverberates into a philosophical parable of what survival means as individuals, as a society, as an ecosystem.

Alderman has become of my favorite contemporary authors. As a huge fan of sci-fi, this was the most realistic depiction of AI that I’ve read. I feel a lot of authors kind of run with the idea of artificial intelligence that exists solely in science fiction. The AI here is a terrifyingly accurate depiction of what’s around the corner.

This book is dark, gritty, and man there are some twists woven into it. Sad and happy all at the same time.

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. As someone who works in tech and fully recognizes the moral questions that different technological advances bring to light, I really liked the way novel was structured, and the characters kept me intrigued and borderline-anxious through their tough situations. Ms. Alderman certainly knows how to write about current topics in a way that parallels life and calls for self-reflection. A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads.

This book is at once dystopian and utopian. Like the Power it suggests that power corrupts but unlike it, here good can reverse the destruction that uncaring billionaires inflicts on the world.
The sympathetic character of Zhen ties the various characters and time lines together. I throughly enjoyed reading the Future for its insights in the perils of big tech and cleverly constructed plot that is often surprising. This is sure to be one of the best of the year.

Alderman's first book since THE POWER in 2017 exceeded all expectations! Recommended for fans of Jennifer Egan, Blake Crouch, Andy Weir, Dave Eggers, the list goes on.