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The Future by Naomi Alderman

Dystopian

The Future

by Naomi Alderman

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Quick Take

From the author of The Power, a bracing new dystopian novel about a near-future riven by inequality and climate change.

Good to know

  • Illustrated icon, 400

    400+ pages

  • Illustrated icon, Multiple_Viewpoints

    Multiple viewpoints

  • Illustrated icon, Social_Issues

    Social issues

  • Illustrated icon, LGBTQ_themes

    LGBTQ+ themes

Synopsis

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.

Why I love it

Do you love thinking about the end of the world? Me neither. I do, however, love an ambitious book that is as engrossing as it is intelligent. Cue The Future: a thrilling dystopian novel with enough twists to grip even those of us actively working not to think about potential planetary doom.

In a near-future dystopian world, three tech billionaires effectively control the economy and wield immense political power. They manipulate data, dictate the news, and exploit natural resources while secretly preparing for the global catastrophe they are instigating, leaving society none the wiser.

After receiving individual apocalyptic warnings, they calmly evacuate to their respective bunkers to wait out the nearing cataclysm. But then our focus shifts to the struggling 99%. We meet refugee-turned-survivalist-influencer Lai Zhen and executive assistant Martha Einkorn as they face the end of the world and grapple with questions of how far they would go to save it. Weaving big ideas with resonant real-world issues, we are taken on a wild ride through everything from online doomsday prepping forums to the Book of Genesis.

Naomi Alderman’s storytelling is a captivating blend of the fantastical and eerily prescient, gripping from the opening line to the last page. The Future is a must-read for those who appreciate well-crafted, thought-provoking fiction with a distinct view of the world.

LGBTQ+ themes
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LGBTQ+ themes
View all
Gifted & Talented
Oathbound
Liquid
Our Infinite Fates
We Could Be Rats
The Bones Beneath My Skin
Sister Snake
The Three Lives of Cate Kay
I Might Be in Trouble
The Last Hour Between Worlds
High School
The Pairing
Under Your Spell
The Stars Too Fondly
The Ballad of Jacquotte Delahaye
Spitting Gold
Darling Girls
The Haunting of Velkwood
The Other Significant Others
Interesting Facts about Space
Gwen & Art Are Not in Love
Alice Sadie Celine
The Future
Let Us Descend
Stars in Your Eyes
Masters of Death
Just Kids
Pageboy
Ink Blood Sister Scribe
The London Séance Society
Really Good, Actually
The Light Pirate
Kiss Her Once for Me
Foul Lady Fortune
Siren Queen
Yerba Buena
Love & Other Disasters
Afterparties
Razorblade Tears
One Last Stop
Honey Girl
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
Girl, Serpent, Thorn
Red, White & Royal Blue
Wayward Son
This Time Will Be Different
The Red Scrolls of Magic
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo