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The Future

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What to expect

‘Gripping’ MARGARET ATWOOD

'A fabulous, witty writer on the digital world’ SUNDAY TIMES

'A little Atwood, a little Gibson, all Alderman, it’s brilliant and I loved it' LAUREN BEUKES

The latest novel from the Women’s Prize-winning, bestselling author of The Power, The Future is a white-knuckle tour de force and dazzling exploration of the world we have made and where we are going.

Lai Zhen is about to die. As an Internet-famous survivalist, she’s spent her life prepping for the end of the world. But now, desperate and cornered in a mall in Singapore, she’s mad she might go out not knowing what the hell is going on. If she makes it out alive, what kind of a future will be waiting for her?

Across the world, Martha Einkorn works the room at a gathering of mega-rich companies hell-bent securing a future just for them. Covert weapons, private weather, technological prophecy, when Martha fled her father’s compound she may have left the cult behind, but if the apocalyptic warnings of his fox and rabbit sermon are starting to come true, how much future is actually left?

Martha and Zhen’s worlds are about to collide. 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.

‘A rollicking, fun-packed thriller’ ALASTAIR REYNOLDS

Critics Review

'Gripping' Margaret Atwood

'Compelling' The Financial Times

'Alderman has crafted characters readers will want to follow wherever they go--even to the end of the world. A smart, engrossing fable about digital technology and human community' Kirkus Starred Review

'Immensely readable' Washington Post

'Alderman has gone from promising young author to publishing phenomenon, a writer gifted with the double Midas touch of commercial success and literary prestige ... Alderman is a fabulous, witty writer on the digital world' Sunday Times

'This is a terrific novel that, for all its dystopian elements, may even make you optimistic about what lies ahead' SFX Magazine

'The endless intrigue and surprising twists keep the pages turning' Publishers Weekly

'Playful, incisive, horribly relevant and surprisingly hopeful, The Future is a thrill ride that's also a powerful manifesto. A little Atwood, a little Gibson, all Alderman, it's brilliant and I loved it' Lauren Beukes, bestselling author of The Shining Girls

'It is the genius of Naomi Alderman to embed a smart and thought-provoking meditation inside a page-turner of a book. This is one wild (and thoughtful) ride' Karen Joy Fowler, bestselling author of We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves

'How can a novel of big ideas be such compulsively readable entertainment? A nail-biting love story and a witty page-turner about the pros and cons of human civilization, The Future is a wow' Emma Donoghue, bestselling author of Room

'The Future couldn't be more timely, or more welcome ... a rollicking, fun-packed thriller with juicy stakes, constantly escalating twists, and a cast of characters who feel like they already exist somewhere out there in our fragile, free-wheeling present' Alastair Reynolds, author of Eversion

User Reviews

Book 4.4
Narration 4.8
4.0
5.0
Ok. Not as good as the Power.
robinh 23/07/2025
5.0
5.0
nikkijazzie 22/06/2025
4.0
5.0
davidchristophe 30/01/2025
4.0
4.0
bridgetmck 27/12/2024
5.0
5.0
A compelling and thought provoking book which is very well read by the team of narrators. The premise is very relevant and timely. There are some very interesting thoughts and themes wound through the story in a way that doesn't interrupt the narrative flows.
bluedocs 13/01/2024

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