by Naomi Alderman ★★★★☆
It's the near-future, and the world is teetering on the brink of collapse. The only problem is that very few people realize the precarious state of things. Three who do, however, are some of the richest and most powerful people on the planet: Lenk Sketlish, CEO and founder of Fantail, the world's largest social network; Zimri Nommik, CEO of the "logistics and purchasing giant", Anvil; and Ellen Bywater, CEO of "the world's most profitable personal computing company", Medlar Technologies. These titans have access to the most advanced information on the planet, and that information is telling them one thing: the collapse of society as we know it is imminent.
While they're not friends, per se, they also recognize they have similar interests and means. When a new technology called AUGR emerges that can use AI modeling to predict the near future, specifically catastrophic events, the three band together to secretly purchase it, not so that they can integrate it into their platforms to help save humanity, but rather to use as a private early warning system so that they (and only they) can covertly escape to one of their fortified underground bunkers. Paragons of selflessness these three are not.
But fear not, humanity! Those closest to the CEOs -- spouses, assistants, children, and the like -- are privy to the same information, and, coincidentally, have a less-skewed moral compass. If they band together, they may just have a chance at finding a way to prevent the end of humanity before it's too late.
There's not a lot of subtlety or gray area in Alderman's bleak portrayal of the motivations of the rich and powerful, be it the obvious parallels to some of today's biggest companies or where she stands on what billionaires should be doing to help the planet. Even actions by the CEOs that appear beneficial to Earth have secret devious purposes. For example, they all pledge to purchase and establish "FutureSafe zones", large blocks of land that are cordoned off from human access to ostensibly provide "safe zones for animals". On the surface, that seems altruistic, right? Instead, the FutureSafe zones just afford the CEOs yet another revenue stream (they provide the ability to virtually explore the "untouched areas"...for a price, of course), but also serve as drone-patrolled quarantine areas in which they can each clandestinely build underground bunkers. It's all pretty comical, and would be more so if it didn't hit so close to home.
Regular readers of my reviews know that I appreciate some nuance, and there's not much here: Alderman creates fairly one-dimensional villains, and the story would have benefitted from a little more internal conflict from these business leaders. She also makes each of them white and heterosexual, while every one of those close in their orbit (with more evolved moral compasses, shall we say) all are part of some minority or marginalized group. Again, short on subtlety.
Lack of subtlety and nuance aside, my final book of 2023 was a really interesting read! It's well-plotted, and while it's a bit sensationalized, there's enough realism that it makes imagining the future of The Future more than a little uncomfortable. While Alderman didn't convince me of the path we should be taking to realize a more utopian tomorrow, she at least chose a vehicle in which to deliver her message that was both entertaining and thought-provoking. It's a compelling race against time (in more ways than one), and it's worth your time to read it.