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okynneslustaren's review against another edition
dark
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
A quick read, but an enticing little novella that makes you reflect on society and the future.
laura_thereflectivebookshelf's review
3.0
This was an Interesting and quick read but the sci-fi/fantasy genre is not really my cup of tea. That being said, it is well written and thought-provoking.
mackenzie_sitstudio's review
Just read the first few pages, since Shea loved it, but then he returned to the library!
walkerct's review against another edition
3.0
I'm a really big fan of Laurie Penny's non-fiction writing, so I was curious to see how I would like her fiction. Sadly, I found myself to be pretty disappointed. While I loved the concept and the politics of the book, I found the overall plot and characters to be underwhelming. Part of that is due to the fact that it's a short book, just over 100 pages long, so a lot of it feels sketched out rather than fully rendered. The biggest problem I had with it, and one that is maybe not surprising considering Penny's writing background, is that so much of the story and characterization is told rather than shown. Character thoughts and motivations are stated up front, rather than demonstrated through interactions with other characters. That kind of technique works well in journalism, where you're trying to paint a vivid picture of a real life subject in a short period of time, but in fiction it can come across as lazy or patronizing, like the author doesn't trust that the reader will understand what's going on unless it's directly stated. The science fiction concepts in the book are interesting, but they don't feel fully developed, most of the time they just feel like a vehicle to get the political message of the piece across, which can be heavy-handed at times. I would have liked to see this fleshed out into a full-length novel, because I do enjoy Penny's prose, and a number of the characters held a lot of promise. For people not familiar with her work, I would recommend sticking to the non-fiction essay collections. However, if she takes another turn at fiction I will be checking it out.
karolinakriauzaite's review
2.0
Too political in my opinion, would’ve been better if it was written as a longer novel than a shitt Novella. I didn’t really like the concept of the letters that Nina wrote, the whole plot just wasn’t deep enough for it to be confusing me throughout the whole book. Also the ending of the book plotted like 3 times and Alex did not have to kill himself, I’m sure Daisy could’ve used any other fixed body.
verkisto's review
5.0
Damn. Just ... damn. What a powerful piece of fiction.
I've said before that any science fiction story is a product of the time in which it's written, not just in the way people think, but in the way technology is used. Look back at Star Wars or Aliens and see what passed for futuristic computer screens at the time; already, in 2017, we have computers that project better graphics than that. Even Asimov's Foundation series still relied heavily on the use of paper in the stories. We're limited to presenting a future based on our present, so as a result, the stories can look dated years later.
By the same token, good science fiction has to be a product of its time, because it looks at the future consequences of our current society. Everything Belongs to the Future does just that, looking at economic divides, capitalism run rampant, and the roles of men and woman in society. It's reminiscent of Drew Magary's The Postmortal, in that it examines life when aging has been cured, but it addresses different issues in a different style.
The story is told on the cusp of the 22nd Century, about 100 years after a scientist developed a pill that would prevent aging, so long as it were taken every day. Pharmaceutical companies quickly took hold of the drug and charged ridiculous amounts of money for them, quickly creating a further divide among the upper and lower classes. Now, instead of keeping money from the lower class, the upper class keeps time from them, as well.
At times, the novella reads like nonfiction, but that's only because the author has a lot to say. That it's told well, with provocative characters and lyrical prose, makes it that much more effective. Penny populates the story with a motley crew of characters, including a trans character, a 98-year-old woman in a 14-year-old body, and an undercover spy who keeps his cover by having a relationship with a woman who is a part of the rebels. These characters aren't there just because she thinks it's cool; they're included because each of them reveal a piece of our society now and how we fail individuals by maintaining these constructs. I found out after reading this novella that the author is a feminist writer; having finished it, I'm not surprised.
The story isn't perfect, but it will make you think about our current state of society. That alone elevates the novella from four to five stars, and makes this book the best thing I've read so far this year. Here's to hoping that Penny continues to write fiction, because she's a powerful writer.
I've said before that any science fiction story is a product of the time in which it's written, not just in the way people think, but in the way technology is used. Look back at Star Wars or Aliens and see what passed for futuristic computer screens at the time; already, in 2017, we have computers that project better graphics than that. Even Asimov's Foundation series still relied heavily on the use of paper in the stories. We're limited to presenting a future based on our present, so as a result, the stories can look dated years later.
By the same token, good science fiction has to be a product of its time, because it looks at the future consequences of our current society. Everything Belongs to the Future does just that, looking at economic divides, capitalism run rampant, and the roles of men and woman in society. It's reminiscent of Drew Magary's The Postmortal, in that it examines life when aging has been cured, but it addresses different issues in a different style.
The story is told on the cusp of the 22nd Century, about 100 years after a scientist developed a pill that would prevent aging, so long as it were taken every day. Pharmaceutical companies quickly took hold of the drug and charged ridiculous amounts of money for them, quickly creating a further divide among the upper and lower classes. Now, instead of keeping money from the lower class, the upper class keeps time from them, as well.
At times, the novella reads like nonfiction, but that's only because the author has a lot to say. That it's told well, with provocative characters and lyrical prose, makes it that much more effective. Penny populates the story with a motley crew of characters, including a trans character, a 98-year-old woman in a 14-year-old body, and an undercover spy who keeps his cover by having a relationship with a woman who is a part of the rebels. These characters aren't there just because she thinks it's cool; they're included because each of them reveal a piece of our society now and how we fail individuals by maintaining these constructs. I found out after reading this novella that the author is a feminist writer; having finished it, I'm not surprised.
The story isn't perfect, but it will make you think about our current state of society. That alone elevates the novella from four to five stars, and makes this book the best thing I've read so far this year. Here's to hoping that Penny continues to write fiction, because she's a powerful writer.
jhughes's review against another edition
4.0
Good politics, implausible future
Good reflection on the injustice of 1%-er hoarding of longevity. But implausible that 80 years from now medicine won't be cheap enough for all.
Good reflection on the injustice of 1%-er hoarding of longevity. But implausible that 80 years from now medicine won't be cheap enough for all.
madgirl's review
3.0
I enjoyed this quite a bit! Though it felt like a novel length idea condensed into 1/3 the space, so seemed a bit rushed and unsatisfying. I think I would have enjoyed spending more time with the characters though!
curgoth's review
A quick novella of biting social commentary. I'm a fan of Penny's writing style. It has at its heart a premise drawn from contemporary police abuses, paired with Millennial generational stress in the face of Baby Boomers that won't make room at the table.