A People’s Future of the United States gives a glimpse of 25 different futures. The extremely talented cast of writers covers the most pressing topics of our day, looking at women’s rights, racism, homophobia, climate change, robot–human relations, and so much more. The world is a scary place and stories like these show us what we — as communities, countries and the world — need to do in order to avoid a future straight out of a dystopian novel. It’s a smart collection that will both amuse and terrify you to the core. Pick it up, devour it, and don’t forget that we still have a chance to avoid these futures.
NOTE: I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.
5 Great Stories
The Bookstore at the End of America, by Charlie Jane Anders
The Bookstore at the End of America by Charlie Jane Anders features a delightful, mysterious bookstore amidst warring nations broken out of the United States. Above all, the power of literature is on display. Books can drive a wedge between people, or bring them together despite their differences. In the end, words — and the ideas they represent — are all that matter.
Good News Bad News, by Charles Yu
Good News, Bad News by Charles Yu features a future where technology has run rampant and the absurdities of today have been multiplied ten-fold. Yu alternates between heartbreaking, hilarious, and concerning, giving us a few news stories from a day in the life of the future.
The Sun in Exile, by Catherynne M. Valente
Valente’s signature wit is on display in The Sun in Exile. It’s a tale similar to the emperor with no clothes, featuring a version of the world where a leader has exiled the sun due to its betrayal of humanity. As expected, there is no blame accepted by the human race for the devastating climate change that has ravaged the Earth.
It Was Saturday Night, I Guess That Makes It All Right, by Sam J. Miller
It Was Saturday Night, I Guess That Makes It All Right by Sam J. Miller is a wonderfully trippy ride through a dystopian future filled with strange sexual encounters and a society that revolves around surveillance. While this shady future is on display, the real focus of the story is the power and importance of sexual connection.
Calendar Girls, by Justina Ireland
Calendar Girls by Justina Ireland shows us a future where women’s rights have been trampled by a corrupt government. It’s a terrifying version of the world, one where the United States has flown down the rabbit hole of hatred and ignorance. Ireland gives us a powerful protagonist who ignites the status quo by the end.
A People’s Future of the United States
Ed. by Victor LaValle &
John Joseph Adams
One World
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