This was such an emotional read for me, at the end of the book ,i left left looking at the wall lol. the ending and overall structure do need a little bit of work. But it is good.

I loved this book. The writing is beautiful and the two separate timelines and points of view was really great. The characters each had their own issues related to their sexuality. I think it is a very genuine portrayal of queer men and complicated family and community dynamics. I really enjoyed it!

The Fantasies of Future Things is a reflective novel told from two POVs: one, from a Morehouse alum who is struggling coming out to his family, and the other, an Atlanta native who has a lot more to be worried about. As a former Morehouse student I was excited to see how the institution played a role in the novel as Doug Jones told a provacative story in the midst of Atlanta's urban renewal projects in preperation for the '96 Olymptics. Jones did a great job exploring the interiorities and external envivronments of the characters and how they impact their personhood.

I unfortunately did not finish this book, as I stopped around 60% through. There is a lot packed into this small volume.
While the writing was beautiful, the way the timeline jumped back and forth felt disjointed and, at times, difficult to follow.
Additionally, I wasn’t invested in the characters as a pair. On their own, Daniel and Jacob’s stories were interesting, but their connection simply did not resonate with me.

I requested and received and eARC of The Fantasies of Future Things by Doug Jones via NetGalley. The Fantasies of Future Things follows two Black men working for a development company heralding in the revitalization of the Summerhill neighborhood during the 1996 Olympics. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Jacob is a recent Morehouse graduate who must balance dreams of his future with his parent's expectations. Daniel is an Atlanta native and who is disillusioned with his job. Both men grapple with their sexuality, familial pressure, and the difficulty of the situation they find themselves in with their job (aiding in the gentrification of a predominantly black neighborhood.)

The scenes in this novel are presented so vividly, the language is evocative and really centered me in this reading experience. From the opening pages of The Fantasies of Future Things, there is this deliciously, simmering tension that really drew me in. This tension is well-reflected through Jacob and Daniel’s internal struggles, as they wrestle with their roles in the project and the hidden pressures of their personal lives. Daniel’s family dynamic and history was a highlight for me. Daniel has a somewhat fraught relationship with his mother that captured my attention, and the flashback scenes included were wonderfully written and really made me ache for his character, his mother, and his siblings. I was equally fascinated by Jacob and his story with Sherman, but I really think this novel shines when Daniel and Jacob share the page.

Jones uses the 1996 Olympics and the revitalization project as a very compelling backdrop to explore a variety of issues in this tenderly crafted character study. The Fantasies of Future Things interrogates what it means to be Black and queer, and how those identities intersect, in a way that is raw and vulnerable, neatly intertwining the personal and the political (which are inseparable, but even more so for other) in a narrative that is forceful and highly effective. In terms of length and readability, this is an easy work to breeze through, but it’s much more pleasing to spend take time appreciating Jones’ words and digesting them. He has a lot to say in this book and does it exceedingly well through a narrative that is beautifully and thoughtfully written

This book was achingly heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time. At its heart, we have a love story between two men, Jacob and Daniel. Each man is at a crossroads at their lives, but they somehow are able to connect and fit together in an undeniable way. The writing is stunning and at certain points in the book I did need a tissue. I would highly recommend this book for everyone to read and I look forward to more work from Doug Jones.

This a a beautiful debut novel explores the lives of two black gay men and societies expectations of them. Daniel and Jacob are both struggling with the morality of their jobs and their internalized homophobia all while simultaneously trying to overcome the obstacles they face. The writing in this book was so beautifully done with the past and present weaved together in a way that keeps you hooked. The only reason this was not a perfect 5 ⭐️ for me was because I felt like the ending was too abrupt. Thank you NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.